Building an Effective Citizenry
Lessons Learned From Initiatives in Youth Engagement
How Can America Build an Effective Youth Citizenry?
It is important for adults to recognize that youth engagement initiatives have multiple payoffs. Youth can and do make important contributions to their communities before reaching adulthood, and youth engagement initiatives can be a powerful tool for improving communities and meeting the needs of people of all ages who live in those communities. Advocates of youth engagement initiatives often focus on the contribution that such initiatives can make in helping youth acquire the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are associated with effective civic action in adults.
A few lessons learned reveal that if youth engagement initiatives are to be successful in engaging youth, they must move beyond the token involvement of young people. True engagement requires that youth have genuine and meaningful opportunities to make their voices heard and to have an impact on the problems that concern them. Effective initiatives recognize the value of the experience and knowledge that youth can bring to public problem solving. Adults who work with youth should avoid making generalizations about youth apathy and realize that many youth care deeply about public issues and are interested in becoming involved in addressing society’s problems. Just as youth may need training in leadership skills to be effective public problem-solvers, adults who work with youth may need training in how to listen to what youth have to say and to respect the experience, knowledge, and perspective that youth bring to the table. Supportive policies and legislation can make service-learning a common experience for all young people and bring existing, successful service programs to scale. Leaders in education and youth development should explore and support new and creative ways to incorporate service in the lives of all youth.
Adults should also realize that initiatives to involve youth and to promote youth engagement may run up against complex, messy, and difficult problems. Progress will not always be immediate or obvious. Addressing the problems that arise will require hard work, a sustained commitment to working through the problems, and a willingness to listen and learn from others whose experiences may be very different from their own. Developing trusting relationships between young people and adults does not happen overnight; but with sustained engagement and guidance, youth and adults can work together to build an effective citizenry.
In 2002-2003, American Youth Policy Forum conducted a series of Capitol Hill forums featuring initiatives and research on youth engagement and field trips to see youth in action in Youth Court programs in Florida and the First Amendments School Project at a District of Columbia charter school. The series focused on issues related to the development of effective citizenry and youth engagement. Participants, including congressional staff, had the opportunity to learn about the wide variety of work currently taking place to help young people take action in their schools and communities and to become engaged and effective citizens. Researchers presented recent findings about youth civic engagement, and leaders from youth organizations discussed their efforts to engage young people in education reform, service-learning, and community activism. Young people from communities across the United States described their involvement in activities related to community problems and the powerful learning experiences that issued from their participation in these activities. Panel and audience members exchanged lessons learned about effective policies and practices for promoting youth civic engagement.
American Youth Policy Forum’s latest report, Building an Effective Citizenry: Lessons Learned From Initiatives in Youth Engagement captures knowledge from around the nation that was presented by participants about characteristics of effective programs and practices for engaging youth and helping them to become effective citizens. The report concludes with recommendations collected from the series for building an effective youth citizenry.
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Order a copy by sending your organization name and address with check to: American Youth Policy Forum, 1836 Jefferson Place, NW, Washington, DC 20036. Cost for the report, $5.00, includes postage and handling in the continental U.S. All orders must be prepaid. For bulk orders, please call 202-775-9731.
The activities of the American Youth Policy Forum are made possible by the support of a consortium of philanthropic foundations: Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, Ford Motor Company Fund, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, General Electric Fund, William T. Grant Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Walter S. Johnson Foundation, W. K. Kellogg Foundation, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Charles S. Mott Foundation, Surdna Foundation, and others.