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Issuing the invitation:
Advice from youth
What is a good outreach strategy
organizations can use to engage youth as decision-makers?
- Use youth to attract other youth. If you do not have any youth
connected to your organization approach a youth-run organization
and co-host an event together.
- Recognize that youth do not operate on a nine-to-five schedule. Conduct youth outreach during weekends and evenings.
- Take a look at your services, literature, and programs. Make
them transparent to young people. Skip the jargon and state the
history of the organization, what it does and why, and where it
would like to go. As well, include information about how decisions
are made so that we can see ourselves as potentially being a part
of that instead of being intimidated.
What can organizations do to make sure youth feel valued when they walk
through the front door?
- Organizations need to be prepared to change before thinking about inviting
youth to the decision-making table. They need to be willing to
adjust some of their practices and the way they run their meetings
and programs, and not assume that doing this will sacrifice their
outcomes. If they do not do this, youth will not stay connected.
- Adults should not feel undermined when youth challenge them.
They also need to have a strong chair or facilitator who is aware
of potential power imbalances and ensures that youth are heard
within the main discussion. They cannot have youth around as a
token.
- Organizations need to check in with youth on a regular basis.
They need to be prepared for young people's varying levels of
experience. They also need to recognize young people's strengths.
Organizations need to initiate and develop a real relationship
with youth.
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