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InvolveYouth 2:
A guide to meaningful youth engagement |
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2. Preparing the organization for youth engagement
Is your organization ready for youth engagement?
The importance of staff
Challenges for staff Improving the work conditionsContinuity and sustainability
Is your organization ready for youth engagement?
One of the most challenging features of youth engagement programming is that it requires the genuine transfer of power from adults to youth in an organization. This can only happen if there is a real and substantial shift in the culture of the organization. Before implementing a youth program, prepare your organization so that it is a respectful and hospitable environment for youth.
- Ensure there are strong adult allies and advocates. Strong adult allies are necessary to train, mentor and support youth staff and participants. Without the adult leadership advocating for youth in the organization, traditional management structures and stereotypes may be too powerful for youth to overcome.
- Hold anti-ageism training for staff, management and board. Help all parts of the organization to put aside prejudicial attitudes about youth and prepare them to surrender some of the privileges of adult power.
- Review your organizations policy and practices on inclusive decision-making. Decision-making structures should reflect the clientele, membership and community served by the organization. For youth to have a voice in adult decision-making there needs to be a proportional number of places for youth at the table.
- Create and implement a mechanism for youth to safely raise concerns and to challenge organizational practices. This means opportunities for youth-led discussions with no fear of reprisal and a genuine commitment by the organization to listen and to respond.
- Include youth in the hiring process for staff. The experience of being involved in a hiring process can be valuable and it can also produce useful insights into the relative strengths of candidates. Besides, it is youth who will be most affected by the hiring decisions.
The importance of staff
Staff play a vital role in the design, co-ordination and facilitation of youth programs. It is through their commitment and dedication that youth programs survive, grow, and succeed like the youth that they serve.
In many cases, it is the staff person who makes a program work, who draws participants back, year after year, and who becomes known and trusted as the face of the organization in a community.
There is some concern that adolescence is being extended too far. Some have argued that the "youth" label infantilizes young adults and extends the period of their powerlessness.
When there is a wide range between the ages of youth participants, it may be useful to sub-divide participants into smaller age groupings or to tailor program activities to meet the specific development needs of participants. At CASSA (Council of Agencies
Serving South Asians), "youth" encompasses three age ranges: 13-16, 16-24 and 24-30.
But even more than that, staff are the advocates for youth in the organization. They bring the ideas, energy and realities of youth from the community back to the organization. They represent and articulate the needs of their youth participants. They are often instigators for change, pushing organizations to shift, evolve, and make space for youth.
In the context of youth engagement programs, youth workers assist and manage the transfer of power from adults to youth in the organization.
Challenges for staff
Unfortunately, staff members often find themselves working from a disadvantaged position:
- Youth programming is sometimes seen as the responsibility of one staff person, whose work is done in isolation, separated from other programs in the organization.
- Youth workers who are youth themselves are often overworked, underpaid, and expected to accept more precarious working conditions than adult staff. Many youth workers feel a strong sense of loyalty to the youth and to the communities they serve. They know the work they do is important but they also feel weary and frustrated by the working conditions, the lack of job security, low wages, and the overwhelming workload.
In many parts of the sector, job expectations for youth workers are not sustainable. Poor working conditions undermine the integrity of an organization, result in high rates of staff turnover and burnout and weaken the effectiveness of youth programs.
It is not uncommon to find organizations where all the staff members hold permanent positions except the youth worker who remains on short-term contracts and earns significantly less than adult staff with similar portfolios.
Improving the work conditions of staff
Organizations need to review their staff policies and practices to ensure that they reflect the values of the organization and of youth engagement.
- Commitment to youth. Effective youth engagement programming requires a commitment to youth by the whole organization.
- Better working conditions. Working conditions of the staff can be improved by more appropriate scheduling of time, budgets and expectations. Staff require time for preparation, evaluation and administrative tasks related to the program. Staff should also have manageable portfolios. Too often, youth workers are responsible for the entire youth demographic, including anything youth-related that happens in the organization.
- Commitment to staff. An organization should be as committed to its staff as it is to its mission. This means providing staff with competitive wages, job security and benefits. Youth staff members deserve equal treatment with adult staff - equality in pay and in opportunity.
- Training and capacity building, especially for youth staff. Youth volunteers and participants often become the next generation of youth workers and facilitators in an organization. In order to make the transition, youth require ongoing training and skill development. Supporting youth in relevant and empowering ways requires knowledge, skill and creativity. Organizations should ensure that staff are well trained and supported to meet the complex needs of diverse youth.
Continuity and sustainability
One of the most important features of successful youth programming, especially when working with marginalized youth, is stability and continuity. This presents a real challenge for organizations across the sector where sources of funding are sometimes scarce and unpredictable. As a result, in order for programs to be sustainable, long-term planning must be embedded in programs with existing budgets. Continuity must be considered at the initial stages of program design. Consider:
- The ability of organization to absorb graduate participants into the organization as staff or volunteers. This strategy is particularly effective when it enables youth participants to become the facilitators and mentors for the next generation of youth.
- The potential for partnerships. There may be opportunities for joint activities organizations and initiatives.
- Scheduling discussions with participants throughout the program. This can happen as a group or on an individual basis. A common practice is to conduct an exit interview which can provide an opportunity for the participant to reflect on their experiences, give feedback and gain closure with the organization. The interview also provides staff with the opportunity to work with the participant to develop strategies and support mechanisms for the ensuing transition.
>>>> Chapter 3
InvolveYouth 2: A guide to meaningful youth engagement is broken into section chapters on the web. See the Chapters list for links to all chapters.
You can also download the PDF of this document. You will need to have the latest version of the  FREE Acrobat Reader on your computer to view.
To order a printed copy of the guide send an e-mail to safety2@toronto.ca or call 416-397-0442.
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