Youth engagement is the sentiment young people feel towards a particular person, activity, place or outcome. It has been a focus of youth development, public policy and social change movements for at least forty years.Pittman, K. (n.d.) "Balancing the equation: Communities supporting youth, youth supporting communities." Forum For Youth Investment. Retrieved 9/12/07. According to a Cornell University program, "Youth engagement is one of the buzzwords in the youth development field. Similar terms are youth voice, youth involvement, youth participation, and youth in governance."[actforyouth.net/youth_development/engagement/ "What is Youth Engagement, Really?"], Cornell University Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research (2019). Retrieved February 26, 2019.
About A study exploring foster youth and aging out defines youth engagement as, "involving young people in the creation of their own destinies", and suggests that in social work that means "genuinely involving them in case planning and encouraging them to advocate for themselves." This sentiment was best summarized by youth who said, "Nothing about us without us."Strangler, G.J. and Shirk, M. (2004) On Their Own: What Happens to Kids When They Age Out of the Foster Care System. Westview Press. p 260. The concept of youth engagement has emerged in recent years as a leading-edge, broad-based approach and best practice to meet the needs of youth, including youth at risk. It is a process that offers meaningful participation for youth—that is, participation with passion—and opportunities for youth to take responsibility and leadership while working in partnership with caring adults who value, respect and share power with them. Ontario Meeting the Needs of Ontario Youth]. Trillium Foundation. Retrieved 2/6/08.
Activities
According to a variety of research, there are numerous personal, interpersonal, social, cultural and organizational avenues for youth engagement."A Short Introduction to Youth Engagement" , Adam Fletcher. Freechild Project. (2013). Retrieved February 26, 2019. These can include: Supportive family background Mentors or role models Involvement in cooperative activities Cultivation of intrinsic interest Awareness of moral and political issues Traits such as moral sensitivity and optimismMichaelson, M. and Nakamura, J. (2001) Supportive Frameworks for Youth Engagement. Jossey-Bass. p 12. Adult support Youth-friendly environment Completion of meaningful tasks Learning and utilization of new skillsCheckoway, B. and Gutiérrez, L. (2006) Youth Participation And Community Change. Haworth Press. p 18.
Specific activities have been cited as fostering youth engagement as well."Eight Successful Youth Engagement Approaches", US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health. Retrieved February 26, 2019. They include: Youth councils Youth-led media Youth advisory boards Youth organizing Self-advocacy Community youth developmentFletcher, A. (2006) Washington Youth Voice Handbook. CommonAction. p. 24. Consulting on public policy Community coalitions Organizational decision-making School-based service learning,Camino, L. and Zeldin, S. (2002) "From Periphery to Center: Pathways for Youth Civic Engagement in the Day-To-Day Life of Communities," Applied Developmental Science. 6(4). p 213. and Youth conferencesPancer, S.M., Krasnor, L.R. and Loiselle, L.D. (2002) "Youth conferences as a context for engagement," New Directions for Youth Development. 96. p 48.
Both the philosophy and activities within a program or activity need to be a "good fit" for the young people participating in them.Larson, R., Eccles, J.S. and Mahoney, J.L. (2006) Organized Activities as Contexts of Development: Extracurricular Activities. Routledge. p 400. In the United States, activities and campaigns including those by the National Commission on Resources for Youth, the Freechild Institute and Youth Communications have been cited for their effectiveness in engaging young people.
Spectra of activities Research has identified a spectrum of approaches to youth engagement, beginning with training for adults that work with youth.Fletcher, A. (2010) Youth Engagement Workshop Guide. Olympia, WA: Freechild Project. These range from traditional programs that treat youth as clients to organizations that are led by youth and for youth.Young Wisdom Project. (2006) Making Space, Making Change. Movement Strategy Center. p 16. Retrieved 1/22/08. There are also groups who foster engagement among traditionally non-involved youth by working to foster more significant youth participation outside of the program or organization itself. Other points in this spectrum can include: Youth-serving: The program targets youth as consumers of service Youth input: Youth evaluate or provide feedback on the program Youth-engaged: Youth are involved in program development and/or delivery and Youth-led: The program concept and/or organization came from youth Youth-connecting: The activity facilitates youth interaction and builds connections through social mediums
Each has value, and where a program or groups sits depends on the degree to which youth are engaged in the program with meaningful participation, and the degree to which the organization offering the program has policies and infrastructures to support youth involvement in a meaningful way.Ilkiw, V. (2007) Keynote Address. Safe Cities For Youth Conference , Toronto, March 12, 2007.
Outcomes A number of foundations recognize youth engagement as a best practice in programs for young people. For example, the Paul Allen Foundation promotes youth engagement as an avenue to achieving early reading proficiency, expand opportunities for experiential learning, and involve young people in addressing community needs."Youth Engagement" , Paul G. Allen Family Foundations. Retrieved 9/12/07. The Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation in Canada supports youth engagement because it believes young Canadians, "already tend to think globally; take advantage of opportunities to expand their understanding of global challenges; want to contribute new ideas and perspectives to the discussion about Canadian international policy and; are creative in their use of new technologies to further their engagement in the world.""Grant Programs: Global Citizenship - Youth Engagement." Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation. Retrieved 9/12/07. The Ontario Trillium Foundation recognizes youth engagement as a best practice and has been developing a framework to support youth engagement in its grantmaking and encourage applications that include a youth engagement approach. Hands On Learning Australia implement youth engagement programs as an integral part of secondary education in Australian schools. These programs attempt to reengage school age youth through building strong relationships within the context of practical activities, and also address literacy and numeracy issues."Hands On Learning Australia" Hands On Learning Australia. Retrieved 29/03/09.
Youth engagement has been identified as a key measure in promoting adolescent health programs.Viner, R.M. (2005) "Young people's health: the need for action," British Medical Journal. 330. p 901-903. Increasing the likelihood of young people voting has also been an outcome of said programs.Mckinney, M.S. and Banwart, M.C. (2005) "Rocking the Youth Vote Through Debate: examining the effects of a citizen versus journalist controlled debate on civic engagement," Journalism Studies, 6(2) p 158. Engaging youth in pro-social opportunities is also a goal in the field of Positive Youth Development.
It is also seen as central to developing "inclusive participation" in civil society.Camino, L. and Zeldin, S. (2002) "From Periphery to Center: Pathways for Youth Civic Engagement in the Day-To-Day Life of Communities," Applied Developmental Science. 6(4). p 214. Numerous national initiatives have utilized that belief to rationalize a variety of programs, including efforts focused on civic engagement, social justice and education reform.Pearson, S.S. and Voke, H.M. (2002) Building an Effective Citizenry: Lessons Learned from Initiatives in Youth Engagement. American Youth Policy Forum. Retrieved 9/13/07. In the latter field, student engagement is used to specifically address this issues within school environments.Fletcher, A. (2005) Meaningful Student Involvement Guide to Students as Partners in School Change. SoundOut. Retrieved 9/13/07. Several researchers, such as Barry Checkoway, Peter Levine and Shawn Ginwright, as well as advocates including Karen Pittman and Adam Fletcher have been acknowledged for their efforts to promote youth engagement.Pittman, K. "Balancing the equation: Communities supporting youth, youth supporting communities." Forum For Youth Investment. Retrieved 9/12/07.
Challenges Youth engagement faces a variety of obstacles. They include a "disjunction in what adults believe is important to do with young people, and what they actually do," as well as social norms that encourage youth engagement, and the presence of strong norms that discourage youth-adult partnerships.Rhodes, J.E. and Clary, E.G. (2004) Mobilizing Adults for Positive Youth Development: Strategies for Closing Gap between Beliefs and Behaviors. Springer. p. 43. A historical disconnect between positive youth development and civic engagement has also been cited as a leading barrier.Mohamed, I.A.; Wheeler, W. (2001) Broadening the Bounds of Youth Development: Youth as Engaged Citizens. Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development. p 22.
Innovations