Young people make up a vital part of our communities, and engaging them brings diverse perspectives, new solutions to old problems, and cultivates the next generation of engaged citizens. However, if we’re not intentional about taking steps to include this demographic, things like unspoken norms, transportation issues, and not having a space to speak in meetings can prevent them from becoming or staying involved. We’ll talk about specific ways you can overcome barriers to youth engagement that will make your effort more inclusive of young people and other underrepresented groups. We’ll also hear several examples from real communities that have involved young people in different ways. Participants will have the chance to put their new knowledge into practice and to explore solutions to the specific challenges their community may be facing related to youth engagement.

1. Bringing Young People to the Table:
Strategies to Overcome Barriers to Youth Engagement
Frontiers of Democracy Conference
June 24, 2016

3. Rebecca Reyes
Communications Manager,
Everyday Democracy
Malana Rogers-Bursen
Program Associate,
Everyday Democracy

4. What we’ll cover today
o Define terms
o Brainstorm challenges
o Hear stories/examples of youth engagement
o Explore scenarios
o Apply an equity lens to our work

5. Definitions
Youth: Ages 12-18. Middle-school and high
school age.
Young adult: 18-30
Young people: Anyone under 30
Recognize the range of experiences even within
these age groups

6. Defining youth engagement
Youth engagement: when young people are actively and authentically
involved, motivated, and excited about an issue, process, event or
program
Youth leadership: when adults support youth to gain the skills,
information and capacity to take leadership alongside adults
Youth voice: when youth speak on issues that affect them and adults aim
to really listen and value those perspectives on an equal footing to
adults opinions
Youth-adult partnerships: youth and adults share decision-making
power equally. Youth are involved in planning, implementation and
evaluation work throughout. Programs and activities are created
WITH youth.

7. Questions for Small Group Dialogue
o How were you involved in your community as a
youth (high school age or younger)? As a young
adult (18-30)? If you are a young person, talk
about how you’re involved now.
o If you were/are involved, how did you become
involved? Who was influential? What institutions
or structures existed to promote youth
engagement?
o If not, why not? What challenges or barriers did
you face?

8. Santa Barbara, Ca.
Conversations about community
building, education, community-police
relations, public safety in 2012.
Key components:
oStudents as young as 6th
grade
participated in dialogues with adults
oStudents as young as preschool-aged
participated by creating art projects

9. Outcomes:
oYouth and young adults had equal say in action ideas
oAn action team focused on creating and communicating about
youth resources

10. Columbus, Ohio
Dialogues on mental health in 2014.
Key component:
Conversations were entirely youth-
driven. Adults in attendance listened
and asked clarifying questions.

11. Action plans include:
oIncrease support for mental health issues for children and youth
oCreate a cyber space for youth services and resources
oHold leadership development training for teens
oEstablish a place where youth voices can be heard

12. Montgomery County,
Md.
Dialogues in schools focused on closing
the achievement gap since 2002.
Key components:
oStudents from grades 6-12 participate
in dialogues with students and staff
oDialogues held within the schools

13. Outcomes:
oStudents felt like the staff cared about them for the first time
oNew student leaders emerged
oNew school support systems in multiple languages
oNew discipline plans to treat students of color fairly

14. Strong Starts for
Children
Five communities in New Mexico held
dialogues on early childhood
development in 2010.
Key components:
oYouth media organization captured
video stories
oDialogues included community
events to engage families

15. Outcomes:
oLaunched Youth Creating Change Film Festival
oStories of young mothers influenced changes at the city level
oYouth involved learned the importance of early childhood
development

16. Equity
Equity ≠ Diversity.
(Diversity = Variety)
Equity ≠ Inclusion
(Inclusion = Representation)
Equity ≠ Equality
(Equality = Sameness)
Equity = Fairness and Justice
Adapted from presentation by Bethany
Johnson-Javois on June 1, 2016

17. Equality vs Equity vs Liberation

18. Applying an Equity Lens
Applying an equity framework is important to make sure include
diverse perspectives and empower them to have their own impact.
o How are young people involved in the decision-making? Are
you making decisions in partnership with young leaders?
o How do your strategies impact different age groups – youth,
young adults, older adults? Do they help level the playing
field for everyone, or do they perpetuate disparities?
o How do create authentic youth/adult partnerships in your
work?

19. New Haven, Conn.
Dialogues about community-police
relations, youth, racial equity, and
immigration in 2009.
Key components:
oYouth were dialogue participants,
facilitators, and implemented actions
oClass credit offered to high school
students for participating
oYouth were encouraged to be
trained as facilitators

20. Outcomes:
oSeries of dialogues focused on hearing the concerns of teens
oDialogues with teens and police led to improved relationships
oImproved literacy after approval of community service credits for
participating in after-school ESL classes

21. Text, Talk, Act
Conversations about mental health
designed to reach youth and young
adults since 2013.
Key components:
oIntegral part of planning,
organizing, and communications
oUse of technology
oPeer-to-peer dialogue
oContests encouraged young
people to organize their peers

22. o This initiative was part of the National Dialogue on Mental Health
starting in 2013.
o TTA was created with the specific focus of engaging youth and
young people in dialogues on this topic. Youth and young adults
make up the majority of the dialogue participants. They also are
Thean integral part of planning, organizing, and communications.
o The use of technology, the accessible format (no facilitators or
training needed), and the peer-to-peer format likely attracted
this demographic.
o TTA hosted contests to encourage and inspire young people to
organize their peers in whichever ways they thought would be
most effective.
o Over 90% of respondents said their understanding about mental
health, how to help each other, and how prevalent mental health
is has increase as a result of participating in TTA.
o New young leaders and young advocates for mental health have
emerged as part of participating in various stages of the process.
“It’s perfect for youth in school, because even if they’re just going
through it with other students—and there's not a teacher around,
there's not an adult around—the questions are so open and so
understandable that it’s easy to have five kids sitting in a room, and
look at a text message that says, “Have you ever felt this way?” and be
able to speak to the entire group, everyone being honest and saying,
“Yes, I have,” or, “No, I haven’t”. -Tim Cox, organizer for TTA
Outcomes:
oOver 30,000 participants
oOver 90% of respondents said understanding about mental
health, how to help, and prevalence of mental illness increased
oNew young leaders and young advocates for mental health
emerged