If you are a business owner, board member, work with volunteers, or with civic-minded or community-serving adults, it is important to learn the value that youth can bring if they are invited to actively participate.
Youth can become community advocates and leaders while learning to be effective members of society and leave a lasting impact on those around them. The enhancement of a community can involve many facets of the local population, and youth are often an overlooked component. Through active engagement, youth can take ownership and become lifelong contributors to local well-being. Maintaining open channels of communication and interaction among diverse local groups-including youth-can lead to successful community development partnerships.
Building local capacities is a goal of most communities. While this is typically directed to adults, youth can be included. Encouraging youth input contributes to the development of the community as well as the social and psychological development of participating youth.
To encourage youth involvement, it is necessary to understand what motivates them, what obstacles they face and the importance of community feedback. There is a transition process as youth are placed in civic roles from which they have traditionally been excluded. This involves training and instilling confidence in youth who may have input opportunities in local decision making. This collaboration builds skills and potentially a newfound feeling of civic ownership.
The benefits of youth involvement in communities are two-fold. The local culture gains perspective while the youth enjoy a plethora of benefits. Research supports the premise that youth participation results in behavioral well-being among adolescents, as well as improved academic performance, a higher likelihood of college attendance, increased school engagement, setting a positive example for others, and reinforcing positive social values.
Youth have a need and desire to be a part of a bigger picture through immersion in their communities. Participation can lead to feelings of efficacy and an increase in self-confidence and self-esteem. Youth can feel valued when they are taken seriously by community leaders. Discovering a sense of responsibility toward community is yet another benefit of youth involvement. Performing a public duty can become ingrained in a person’s character and lead to a lifelong commitment to service to others. Recognition is also important in youth work; both intrinsic and extrinsic needs can be met as adults become familiar with the youth they are working with.
Volunteers recognize a range of motivators for becoming involved in civic duties. Some initially volunteer because of a school or work requirement while another’s goal is to pad a scholarship application or resumé. Job opportunities, networking, or skill development in communication or conflict management can drive participation. A passion or strong opinion regarding a particular issue could also lead to youth contributing to meet a need in the community.
What steps can community leaders take toward including youth in community decisions? Begin at home. Youth whose parents are community-minded follow that example and develop the habit of participation. However, youth from homes where parents don’t volunteer may still be active in their communities. A supportive relationship between parents and youth is often more critical to youth civic engagement than parent modeling. Parents play an important role in making connections between youth and their surrounding world.
Schools can be a resource for encouraging youth involvement in community activities. Administrators and teachers recognize leadership skills and can make suggestions based on strengths of the students and requirements of the position. These mentors also have a keen sense of what a student could offer a board, and which students could benefit from the boost in self-confidence and self-esteem that may result from involvement.
Many youth organizations such as 4-H, FFA, Scouting, Key Club, or church groups encourage youth to become involved civically and provide training so their members have the skills to contribute to community organizations. Public speaking, parliamentary procedure, a financial background and recordkeeping are the basics in a toolbox of skills that youth exhibit.
The interaction between youth and adult social groups should also be considered with youth in civic roles. These interfaces promote awareness of motivations as well as identify roles that are advantageous for both the youth and the organization. Acknowledgement of barriers to youth involvement is also important, as obstacles have the potential to inhibit or discourage participation. The most prevalent of these is the feeling that youth are not heard, taken seriously, or being assigned a significant role. A lack of communication regarding opportunities, committee structure, or the group’s mission can also create a negative experience for youth involved. Another challenge may be the organization’s uncertainty of the role or impact that youth can have on achieving goals. Youth may be perceived as having unpredictable schedules, being transient, or being over-committed to school activities.
Positive youth/adult partnerships have been shown to be one of the most effective means of involving both youth and adults in meaningful community activities. When adults work with youth, they build skills which simultaneously strengthen the core organization. Youth experiencing a positive relationship with adults are less apt to participate in risky behaviors and create positive, respectful relationships with more adults. Community leaders are encouraged to make a concentrated effort to facilitate youth participation in their organizations. Many boards make accommodations for youth members as either voting members or in an exofficio capacity. Communities can choose to create an environment where youth have an increasing presence, with the ultimate result of adolescents becoming committed to civic roles and developing skills to further support their communities.