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What Works in Youth Engagement?What Works in Youth Engagement?
Presentation by Cathryn L. Thorup, Ph.D.at the
Democracy and Governance WorkshopU.S. Agency for International Development
June 16, 2005
What is Youth Engagement?What is Youth Engagement?
YouthYouth Civic Civic
EngagementEngagement Community Community
ServiceService Service LearningService Learning
Definitions and Objectives
Promoting Youth EngagementPromoting Youth Engagement
Albania: Balkans Youth Link-Albania
Two Approaches
Promoting Youth EngagementPromoting Youth EngagementTwo Approaches
Romania: New Horizons Foundation
Lessons LearnedLessons Learned
Lessons LearnedLessons Learned
Combining the development of life skills with social actionCombining the development of life skills with social action Creating a fun learning environmentCreating a fun learning environment Using non-formal education as a way to develop new skillsUsing non-formal education as a way to develop new skills Creating social incubatorsCreating social incubators Listening to youth/Trusting youthListening to youth/Trusting youth Recognizing youthRecognizing youth Appropriate level of challengeAppropriate level of challenge Giving youth responsibilityGiving youth responsibility Learning by doingLearning by doing Building skills for the workplaceBuilding skills for the workplace Inviting all youth to participateInviting all youth to participate
Lessons LearnedLessons Learned
Serving both in-school and Serving both in-school and out-of-school youthout-of-school youth
Building a positive enabling Building a positive enabling environmentenvironment
Bridging societal divides Bridging societal divides through teamworkthrough teamwork
Raising visibility/Building Raising visibility/Building credibilitycredibility
Opportunities to engage at all Opportunities to engage at all levels: Local to globallevels: Local to global
Strengthening the NGO sectorStrengthening the NGO sector Inter-sectoral partneringInter-sectoral partnering Context mattersContext matters Scaling upScaling up
Key Components of a SuccessfulKey Components of a SuccessfulYouth Engagement ProgramYouth Engagement Program
Key Components of a SuccessfulKey Components of a SuccessfulYouth Engagement ProgramYouth Engagement Program
Youth-drivenYouth-driven Needs-basedNeeds-based Offers a safe, neutral atmosphereOffers a safe, neutral atmosphere Engages parents, peers, teachers and others in Engages parents, peers, teachers and others in
the communitythe community Develops critical life skills, including work skillsDevelops critical life skills, including work skills Provides up-to-date-information on issues Provides up-to-date-information on issues
critical to youthcritical to youth Develops computer and language skillsDevelops computer and language skills Provides opportunities for civic advocacy and Provides opportunities for civic advocacy and
service projectsservice projects
Key Components of a SuccessfulKey Components of a SuccessfulYouth Engagement ProgramYouth Engagement Program
Engages youth in design, Engages youth in design, implementation and evaluationimplementation and evaluation
Offers graduated levels of Offers graduated levels of challengechallenge
Builds connections among youth Builds connections among youth across societal dividesacross societal divides
Provides opportunities for youth to Provides opportunities for youth to take the leadtake the lead
Combines learning and social Combines learning and social action with fun activitiesaction with fun activities
Builds skills and confidenceBuilds skills and confidence Fosters capacity-sharing through Fosters capacity-sharing through
networks of like-minded NGOsnetworks of like-minded NGOs
Key Components of a SuccessfulKey Components of a Successful
Youth Engagement ProgramYouth Engagement Program Pursues partnerships with Pursues partnerships with
business, government, and business, government, and civil society actorscivil society actors
Works with public officials Works with public officials to create a positive to create a positive enabling environmentenabling environment
Provides both volunteer Provides both volunteer and paid opportunities for and paid opportunities for employment employment
Raises the visibility of Raises the visibility of youth in the community youth in the community and recognizes their and recognizes their contributionscontributions
Builds social capitalBuilds social capital