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Pathways to Youth
in Governance
NAE4-HA Preconference
October 30, 2005 When we talk about “youth
in governance,” are we talking about citizenship education? Leadership
development? Youth-adult partnerships? Youth in Governance is all that, and
more! Youth in Governance, as defined by the National 4-H Initiative, refers
to the authentic and meaningful engagement of young people in programs, organizations,
and communities, where they have or share voice, influence, and decision-making
authority. Youth in governance is
not a new program, it’s a new way of doing programs. It’s a youth
development approach that can be integrated into any other program or activity,
not only those focused on citizenship and leadership. The research suggests
that youth in governance, as a youth development approach, has multiple levels
of benefits:
- Strengthening and promoting
positive youth development
- Strengthening organizations
and communities
- Ensuring a strong democracy
for the future
- Guaranteeing social
justice and youth representation
The 4-H Youth in Governance
Initiative supports the preparation for—and practice of—youth participation
in governance roles. At the same time, it targets both youth and adults, supporting
both in developing the skills and knowledge needed to be effective in youth
in governance. It is focused on a multi-strategy (multiple “pathway”)
approach that builds toward both program and system change. This workshop will explore
these pathways in more depth, exploring “best practices” for integrating
youth in governance into new and existing programs and organizational structures.
“Pathways to Youth in Governance” will explore YIG as a new way
of doing what we do in 4-H, applicable to any context or content focus. This hands-on, interactive
workshop will:
- Explore the research
base for a youth in governance approach (”what does the research say
about YIG as a youth development strategy?”);
- Share strategies for
integrating the approach into programs, activities and organizational structures
(“how can we revise existing programs to incorporate the principles
of YIG?”);
- Provide an overview
of training “essentials” for both youth and adults (“how
can we support youth, volunteers, and staff in adopting this approach for
programming?”)
- Provide an overview
of the National YIG Initiative, and ways that you can get involved.
Participants will receive
an array of strategies, tools, and curriculum resources to support their work
back home. |
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