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Youth Engagement Matters
A Youth Work Institute Course
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Training based on a new research framework, Rings of Engagement, which emphasizes the range of types of youth engagement and youth-adult partnerships. The series includes a deep dive into four ways in which we can engage youth:
- through participation in programs,
- by fostering individual passion through experiences and activities,
- by creating space and place for youth voice in programs,
- and through collective action to make change with youth and adults as partners.
Class time will be spent reviewing and discussing case studies from programs with high youth engagement models and strategies, opportunities to network with your colleagues, and critical readings and reflection time. Some questions discussed include “what youth participate in programs, what youth don’t and why?” And, “how can high youth engagement program models and strategies work in my program?" At the end of the session, youth workers will see “youth engagement is a lifestyle, not a method” (Ed Irwin, Kwanzaa youth Center).
How it works:
- 15 to 18-hour format over 3 to 6 meetings
What you’ll have when you walk away:
- A deeper understanding of the Rings of Engagement framework
- A set of case studies with models and ideas for replication
- New engagement strategies applicable to working with young people
Who should attend:
Front-line youth workers and mid-level organizational leaders.
To request this course in your area, contact us.
People who have taken this course say:
"It has absolutely challenged me to expand my thinking and practice of youth engagement. Thank you!"
"The "Rings of Engagement" model helped me understand how to think about youth engagement."
"It has provided me with another framework through which to view my work."
