Four Youth Engagement Resolutions for the New Year
For most of us, the new year is the time where we start fresh. Whether it is aiming to accomplish everything on our vision boards or simply identifying and committing to that New Year’s resolution—sticking to our goals is a meaningful accomplishment that we can be proud of.
At ETR’s Youth Engagement Network (YEN), we get excited about learning and discovering new approaches for meaningfully engaging young people. Using our wins and insights over the last year and a half, we are highlighting four resolutions that might make you rethink how your organization engages young people in 2022.
1. Invest in youth inclusivity
You can tell a lot about an organization’s commitment to meaningful youth engagement by looking at their policies and procedures, their financial and developmental investments, and the type of culture and conditions in which they expect young people to thrive. To successfully engage youth, organizations should consider creating policies and procedures that demonstrate that young people are partners in the work, such as infusing youth participation into diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies; or by securing funding to sustain youth-involved work and building the skills of youth-serving adults to increase youth’s capacity to be agents of change through training and hands-on experience; or by discontinuing systems of adultism and harmful power dynamics that create unsafe environments where lived experience and expertise of young people is not valued.
2. Commit to strengths-based application processes
Recruiting and selecting the right young people to participate in programs does not have to be a daunting task. Traditionally, organizations have grandfathered processes for vetting their recruits such as online applications, phone interviews, or group interviews. However, these processes can create unintended barriers to recruiting the right youth for programs, as they fail to promote the skills and contributions of young people. For a more equitable youth vetting process, organizations should think about recruiting as a showcase, where youth are assessed based of their talents and skills, rather than checking boxes and typing responses to short-and- long answered questions. You can learn a lot about a young person’s leadership style, communication style, and attention to detail by using games, scenarios, or by allowing them to respond to a prompt with an idea of their choice (e.g., poetry, photography, or song writing). Encouraging this type of creativity shows young people upfront that you want to see the authentic versions of them and that you value them and everything they have to offer.
3. Rethink youth participation practices
Organizations must accept that they may not be the only ones competing for a young person’s attention. Whether they are balancing jobs, playing sports, participating in after-school social clubs, juggling responsibilities at home or lack reliable transportation, young people have competing priorities that should not be overlooked. Too often, organizations are inflexible in their approach to youth participation or rely on strict rules or accountability procedures. Organizations can meet youth where they are by creating opportunities for revolving participation. Revolving participation gives young people who want to use their skills the chance to contribute to a program without the burden of commitment and expectations they cannot keep. Practicing revolving participation does not replace youth voice—it elevates it. It can also be used as a recruitment hack for future councils since revolving youth may gain a deeper interest in the program through their limited role.
4. Break all the rules
We hate to say it, but it is time to toss the handbook. True youth engagement involves creating with youth, not for them. Some organizations limit youth participation to the conceptualization, implementation, and testing of programs. However, successful youth engagement should be collaborative. For example, organizations can partner with youth to determine their roles in programs and how they help to advance the organization’s mission, the tasks they will be responsible for and being realistic about their capacity, and what can be expected of them and how they expect to be treated by organizations and their staff. Breaking all the rules requires organizations to take the passenger seat while youth become the drivers of change. Most important, when we break the rules, we break new ground and begin to build a foundation of trust with young people which is necessary to make our work more effective and sustainable.
Youth engagement is not a systemically organized body of knowledge and therefore requires full organizational commitment and investments to get it right.
As the YEN continues to learn from our engagement with our partners, we intend to share these learnings so that we can foster environments where young people feel wanted and valued. So, as you and your organizations prepare to master youth engagement in 2022, remember that it is not just a mindset, it is a practice that must be embedded throughout your organization and in all your work.
Previous Posts
JUNE 13, 2023
Getting the Conversation Started: 5 Important Topics and How To Talk About Them
Discussing sensitive topics like underage drinking, drug use, and depression can be uncomfortable, but it's crucial to have these conversations in order to protect their well-being. In this blog, YEN will explore five important issues that young people face today and provide tips on how to approach these topics with sensitivity and care.
VIEW POST
MAY 16, 2023
Using Ice Breakers to Help Young People Build Trust and Camaraderie
Say goodbye to awkward introductions and hello to meaningful interactions! Whether you're an educator, parent, or mentor, these icebreakers can help to create a meaningful, positive experience for the young people you are working with.
VIEW POST
APRIL 24, 2023
How to Compensate Young People Fairly and Equitably
Young people should be paid for the time they spend advising and sharing their expertise. Here are some best practices for organizations and agencies working to compensate young people fairly and equitably.
VIEW POST
MARCH 19, 2023
Why Arts Should Be a Part of Your Youth Engagement Strategy
Research has confirmed time and time again that participation in the arts leads to positive outcomes for young people, both in terms of their cognitive development and their mental health and well-being. If your organization is ready to incorporate the arts into your programs, here are some ways to start.
VIEW POST
FEBRUARY 3, 2023
The Case for Creating an Inclusive Sexual and Reproductive Educational Environment
Sex education content often focuses on straight, cisgender young people, but this ignores LGBTQ+ youth. Using language that removes gendered terms to talk about bodies and the sexual things that people may do with them helps include and respect people of all genders and sexual orientations.
VIEW POST
JANUARY 13, 2023
7 Reasons Why Your Organization Should Work With Young People in 2023
Should your organization work with young people? The data says YES! Here are 7 reasons why having young leaders in your organization can make your youth engagement programs more successful.
VIEW POST
NOVEMBER 28, 2022
12 Podcasts About Youth Empowerment & Engagement to Listen to Today
Podcasts are a great way to connect, learn, and get inspired. With access to podcasts on the go through apps like Spotify, apple music, and Bluetooth streaming, it's more accessible than ever to tap into new ideas and voices wherever you are. We have compiled a list of incredible podcasts for educators and young people. These podcasts feature youth voices and ideas about youth empowerment, youth engagement, community building, and much more.
VIEW POST
OCTOBER 28, 2022
Developing Young Leaders in Your Organization
Everyone benefits when young people are engaged and encouraged to be in leadership roles. Adults benefit by enhancing their own competencies, learning to better understand and value youth, and increasing their commitment and energy to their organizations. Building leadership and engagement in young people will create great habits that will last a lifetime. Here are just a few ways you can begin to develop young leaders.
VIEW POST
OCTOBER 7, 2022
Preventing Bullying in the Classroom: 10 Proactive Tips for Educators
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a time to focus on and raise awareness on bullying. National Bullying Prevention Month was founded to help transform a society that accepts bullying into a society that recognizes that bullying must – and can – be addressed through education and support. We are sharing some tips and resources for spotting and dealing with bullying in the classroom and how to create a safe space for students.
VIEW POST
SEPTEMBER 8, 2022
AHI Presentation 2022: Innovating for Meaningful Youth Engagement Across Sexual and Reproductive Health Interventions
YEN Learning & Engagement Specialist Azzia Roberts presented at the Adolescent Health Initiative 2022 Annual Conference in early August. The presentation, titled “The Youth Engagement Network: Innovating for Meaningful Youth Engagement Across Sexual and Reproductive Health Interventions,” gave an overview of the YEN’s innovative approach to addressing meaningful youth engagement in sexual and reproductive health programs.
VIEW POST
SEPTEMBER 6, 2022
Youth Engagement Resources for the Classroom
School planning has been well underway for educators. With the first day behind us or just around the corner, the YEN team wanted to share some tips and resources that may prove valuable for educators wanting to improve and sustain youth engagement.
VIEW POST
JULY 25, 2022
Engaging With Youth on Social Media
A 2018 study by Hopelab and Well Being Trust found that 93% of youth aged 14-22 use social media, with most being active online daily. Young people aren't just socializing online; they are researching and reaching out about important topics like personal health. Here are some tips for engaging with youth on social media!
VIEW POST
JULY 7, 2022
Why We Should Be Engaging Youth in Our Communities
Engaging youth in our communities is more critical than ever as a broader range of issues begin to affect the lives of young people. For any society to become genuinely welcoming and vibrant and for youth to reach their full potential, young people must be able to commit to, participate in and influence their communities. Learn About Why to Engage Youth in Our Communities!
VIEW POST
MAY 27, 2022
4 YEN Partners Who Are Engaging Youth in Creative Ways
Youth engagement is a trending topic on agendas in 2022, but how are organizations putting it into action? Learn more about how 4 YEN partners are engaging youth in creative ways within their programs and resources.
VIEW POST
MARCH 14, 2022
Why Social Media Should Be a Part of Your Youth Engagement Plan
With 90% percent of young people ages 13-17 reporting to have used social media, it only makes sense that some of the content you create should include their voice. In addition to being an essential space for information sharing, youth engagement on social networks can help young people feel informed, empowered, and represented.
VIEW POST
MARCH 10, 2022
5 Key Takeaways from Flourish Agenda's Healing-Centered Engagement Course
ETR's YEN (Youth Engagement Network) recently participated in a healing-centered engagement course with Flourish Agenda. The self-paced training allowed YEN team members to get certified as healing-centered engagement practitioners, an asset-based and culturally-rooted approach to healing and well-being for young people of color and their adult allies.
VIEW POST
JANUARY 28, 2022
Teen Talk with Jacky Gonzalez
For its first-ever ‘Teen Talk’ and in recognition of September’s Sexual Health Awareness Month in 2021, National Health Foundation chatted with Jacky Gonzalez, a youth consultant and participant in NHF’s Be a STAR program and activist for reproductive rights.
VIEW POST
JANUARY 25, 2022
Five Ways That Your Organization Can Involve Youth
Organizations that involve youth as partners in making decisions that affect them are more likely to be effective at engaging the population and, therefore, to have a more significant impact. Workshops and empowerment training too often only focus on telling young people what to do and fail to consider that, through their experiences, young people can provide valuable knowledge to the decision-making process.
VIEW POST
JANUARY 11, 2022
Four Youth Engagement Resolutions for the New Year
At ETR’s Youth Engagement Network (YEN), we get excited about learning and discovering new approaches for meaningfully engaging young people. Using our wins and insights over the last year and a half, we are highlighting four resolutions that might make you rethink how your organization engages young people in 2022.
VIEW POST
NOVEMBER 2, 2021
Introducing YEN: Trauma-informed, youth-centered, research-driven.
ETR's Youth Engagement Network (YEN) is a 3-year project funded by the Office of Population Affairs aiming to increase the number of young people who effectively engage in sexual health programs and services to promote optimal health, prevent teen pregnancy, and reduce sexually transmitted infections (STI).
VIEW POST
NOVEMBER 3, 2021
Principles of youth engagement
Youth engagement is an intentional partnership between youth and an organization where young people are involved in all parts of an organization, from decision-making to implementation.
VIEW POST
NOVEMBER 12, 2021
How YEN is helping partners create a roadmap for change
A theory of change (TOC) is a comprehensive description of why a particular way of working will be effective, showing how change happens in the short, medium, and long term to achieve the intended impact.
VIEW POST
NOVEMBER 17, 2021
Three ways for young people to be involved in organizations
ETR's Youth Engagement Network (YEN) envisions that all young people, and particularly those who experience systemic marginalization or discrimination, have the ability and opportunity to be meaningfully and equitably engaged in the programs, policies, and systems that affect their lives and communities.
VIEW POST
