Importance of Youth
Involvement
June 2, 2015
Amy Gorn, RurAL CAP
For Alaska Native Youth Success
RurAL CAP
Shifting from seeing youth as
“Problems to Fix” to:
Shifting the Focus
Negative Focus
Positive Focus
Problems
Potential, Interests
What’s wrong
with you?
What’s right about you?
What interests you?
Risk Factors
Protective Factors or Resiliency
Deficits
Assets
Hardships
Positive Youth Development
Past
Future: how to move forward
Strengths Perspective
Terms
Resiliency
Positive Youth
Development
Resiliency-Building
Asks Three Questions
DOING
WHAT?
WHERE?
With WHO?
Resiliency Principles
(Youth Development )
Relevant
Meaningful
Skill
Building
Positive
Setting
Youth Advisor
What makes it a positive experience
WHERE:
Positive Setting “Climate”
Friendly, Safe, Respectful
• Program Structure with
consistent & fair rules
• High expectations
• Conflict managed,
promotes positive values
• Family-feeling: “a place
to belong . . .”
WHO:
Someone Who Connects with
Youth
Supportive & Trusting Relationship
Qualities:
•
Maintains positive
communication
•
Keeps a sense of humor
•
Relates to youth culture
•
Guides not dictates
•
Offers challenge as needed
WHAT:
Relevant Meaningful Activities
Intentional learning: activities with purpose
Experiences combine youth
voice while building new skills
& critical thinking:
• Life Skills: Subsistence/Culture
• Communication skills
• Decision making skills
Activities reflect culture and expand youth horizons
Engage community members as possible
Relevant Activities
Moving – Creating – Building
Think ENERGY!!!
Support & encourage
emerging talents/skills
Work together to tackle
important issues
Youth Voice:
Youth can be powerful
and effective messengers. Prepare & empower them!
HOW to increase participation . . .
Youth advisor’s job:
•
Listen, listen, listen!
•
Support youth, to plan,
carry out and evaluate
their own projects &
activities!
•
Encourage projects that
help the community
What’s important to them?
TIP: Don’t do the planning for them.
Let them make mistakes, that’s how they learn!
Activity
What does a Youth-empowered
Resiliency-based program look like?
Relevant
Activities
Setting
Youth
Advisor
Sample Youth Activities
Health Fairs
Gardening
Native dancing
Exercise groups
Outdoor & camping
Environment/Climate Change
Litter patrols
Community clean-ups
Hiking / Camping
Volunteer for elders
Read to young children
Peer-to-Peer Education
Healthy Relationships
HIV/AIDS, FASD
Teen Pregnancy
Tobacco
Alcohol and other Drugs
Ice Fishing
Noorvik
Pilot Station
Huslia Garden Project
Dancing & Drumming
• What makes a community
a good place to live in?
• Who do you go to for support?
• What should adults do to help
youth become successful and
healthy?
•
What recommendations do you have
for youth programs?
Three Core Principles
of Effective Youth Programs
Intentional
Meaningful
Skill Building
Positive
Setting
Youth Advisor
Which do you think is most important, why?
Youth Pyramid of Program Quality
ENGAGEMENT:
reflect, make
choices, set goals
& make plans
INTERACTION:
partner with adults,
mentors, small groups,
sense of belonging
SUPPORTIVE Environment:
reframe conflict, encouragement,
build new skills, welcoming
atmosphere
SAFE Environment: Healthy food & drinks,
physical space is safe & free of health hazards,
psychological & emotional safety.
David P. Weikert Center for Youth Program Quality
Sample Positive Youth Development
Training Topics
Youth Voice &
Choice
Planning &
Reflection
Building
Community
Scaffolding for Success
Reframing Conflict
Structure and Clear Limits
David P. Weikert Center for Youth Program Quality
Rural Alaska Community Action
Program, Inc. (RurAL CAP)
Healthy People, Sustainable
Communities, Vibrant Cultures
Amy Gorn (800) 478-7227, ext. 7360
Email: [email protected]
www.alaskanativeyouth.org