Voices of Youth Teams:

How to Create Successful Partnerships for Community Action

November, 2003

Camille Dumond, M.A. Youth Researcher

HeartWood Institute

HeartWood Program StoryProgram Story

• Youth development as a priority

• Youth friendly as a culture

• Experiential education as an approach

•Increasing recognition that program delivery model was insufficient

•Belief that we needed to combine youth and community development to create a more powerful approach.

• Belief that we needed to build on a youth friendly culture to develop youth-adult partnerships.

• Conclusion resulted from reflection on programs and experience. Belief that we are on to something which is very important.

1. The process of youth empowerment in a community setting involving direct work with youth.

2. The process through which individuals and organizations in the community support youth empowerment.

3. The process through which youth empowerment contributes to community development.

Research ObjectivesTo better understand, document and improve:

What are YATS?

• 5-15 young people

• Volunteer adult support people

• Team-structured events & activities

• Youth-driven culture

• Commitment to community change work

Research Design: Phase I

• Qualitative methodology and methods• In-depth interviews [appreciative inquiry]

– youth on teams (28)– adult support people (17)– community agency representatives (6)– service recipients (3)

• Focus groups • Data analysis

– NUD*IST qualitative software

Overview of Findings

• Core values that fuel involvement

• Clear youth and adult roles

• Actions meaningful for both youth and community development

What are the elements of a successful Youth Action Team?

The Dream Team for Community Youth Development

Why am I here?Core Values

What is my role?

How do we work together?

Youth/Adults Team/Community

Youth Adult Support

Com

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Training org.

Core ValuesWhy am I here?

• Following passionsPassion is just contagious and if you have a group of people that are really passionate about what they're doing, it's really good (Male youth, Chester team, 18-36 months)

• Connecting with others• Making a difference

It's always fun and I always feel like I'm making a difference and that's very important to me. (Male youth, Mahone Bay team, 36+ months)

• Taking concrete actions

Individual Roles and Taskswithin the youth/adult partnership

• Youth: Engaged Citizen

– Taking ownership

– Sharing leadership

– “Stepping up” to adult support role

The keys to success were the youth wanted to do it and took ownership of it. (Female adult support, Chester, 0-18 months)

Individual Roles and Taskswithin the youth/adult partnership

• Adult: Coach

– Connecting with resources

– Facilitating healthy team dynamics

– Providing initial structure

“more based on friendship than on being an adult… they are there in our lives when we need them. Mentors help the group stay on track sometimes, create opportunities for the youths” (Male youth, Metro team, 36+ months)

The Dream Team for Community Youth Development

Why am I here?Core Values

What is my role?

How do we work together?

Youth/Adults Team/Community

Youth Adult Support

Com

. lin

k

Training org.

Collaborative Roles and TasksHow do we work together?

• Taking action in the community meaningful for all involved

– youth development

– community development

• We had a community meeting…. a lot of people showed up [who] were interested in having a youth action team to do stuff around the community and that was so successful that I'd recommend it to any new team (Y47, male youth, Mahone Bay, 36+ months)

Collaborative Roles and TasksHow do we work together?

• Building strong team and community relationships

– balancing task and relationship orientations

– communicating with the broader community

• “I think they have a good balance of activities. The mix of outdoor activities, indoor activities, some that are fun whereas others are more community oriented and more serious” (female adult, Lunenburg team)

Practice ImplicationsKeys to Success

Youth Elements:• Voluntary participation

• Team involvement

• Youth choose projects

• Youth share leadership

Adult Elements:

• Guides not directors• Connect! Connect!• Facilitate team

dynamics• Negotiate support over

time

Practice ImplicationsKeys to Success

Project Elements:

• Community and youth benefit

• Fun, challenging and people feel like they’re making a real difference

• Successful projects include: those that educate; influence/affect change; create; or provide a service

Next Steps

• Phase II research– Youth development stuff is great!– We want help changing our communities…

• Participatory Action Research– Based on values surfaced in phase I– Asset mapping– Document the process to support other YATs