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Importance of Youth Involvement
June 2, 2015Amy Gorn, RurAL CAP
For Alaska Native Youth Success RurAL CAP
What is your interest for Youth Involvement?
Already doing so?
Want to start?
In what efforts do you want to involve young
people?
Focusing on the Positive
Shifting from seeing youth as
“Problems to Fix” to:
Community Resources to Develop
Shifting the FocusNegative Focus Positive Focus
Problems What’s wrong with you? Risk Factors Deficits Hardships
Past
Potential, Interests
What’s right about you?What interests you? Protective Factors or Resiliency Assets Positive Youth Development
Future: how to move forward
Strengths Perspective Terms
Resiliency
Positive Youth Development
WHERE?
With WHO?
DOIN
G WHAT?
Resiliency-Building Asks Three Questions
What makes it a positive experience
Resiliency Principles(Youth Development )
Positive
Setting
Youth Advisor
Relevant
MeaningfulSkill
Building
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 ActivitiesMoving – Creating – Building
Think ENERGY!!!
Support & encourageemerging talents/skills
Work together to tackle important issues
Youth Voice: Youth can be powerful and effective messengers. Prepare & empower them!
HOW to increase participation . . .
TIP: Don’t do the planning for them. Let them make mistakes, that’s how they
learn!
Youth advisor’s job:
• Listen, listen, listen! What’s important to them?
• Support youth, to plan, carry out and evaluate their own projects & activities!
• Encourage projects that help the community
ActivityWhat does a Youth-empowered
Resiliency-based program look like?
Setting
Youth Advisor
Health Fairs Litter patrols Gardening Community clean-ups Native dancing Hiking / CampingExercise groups Volunteer for elders Outdoor & camping Read to young childrenEnvironment/Climate Change
Peer-to-Peer Education
Healthy Relationships HIV/AIDS, FASD
Teen Pregnancy Tobacco Alcohol and other Drugs
Sample Youth Activities
Making Drums at Mentasta Culture Camp
Ice Fishing
Noorvik Pilot Station
Slana youth asked for paint donations to beautify their Recycling connex container.
They painted the connex as their 9/11 Service project.
Huslia Garden Project
Dancing & Drumming
What Do Youth Tell Us?
What Do Youth Tell Us?• 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?
Which do you think is most important, why?
Three Core Principles of Effective Youth Programs
Positive Setting
Youth Advisor
Intentional
Meanin
gfulSkill
Building
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.
Youth Pyramid of Program Quality
David P. Weikert Center for Youth Program Quality
Youth Voice & ChoicePlanning & Reflection
Building Community
Scaffolding for SuccessReframing Conflict
Structure and Clear Limits
Sample Positive Youth Development Training Topics
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. 7360Email: [email protected]
www.alaskanativeyouth.org
