The Case for Youth Involvement This is an example of a case which can be found in the Youth INVOLVEment toolkit on the redcross.org website. It is a great tool everyone can have access to and use. Just for fun, let’s say a young volunteer named Clara created this power point. We will go through every step she has taken to create a compelling case.

Youth involvement Everyone should have a voice in the Red Cross Clara is a young volunteer and she is extremely passionate about having her peers involved with the local Red Cross unit. So, here is a good example on how she understood to take action and advocate for youth involvement. Clara’s fundamental belief is “Everyone should have a voice in the American Red Cross.” This demonstrates her deep beliefs and something she is passionate about. Remember: You must have a case to advocate for. This should be something you feel passionate about and be willing to devote time and energy to. Identify Your Audience Research The Case Find Documentation Identify The Issues And Facts Input Red Cross Story

Youth Involvement: History In 1884, six children put on a play that raised over 50 dollars that they donated to the American Red Cross. Red Cross. The money was used to aid a family victimized by the severe Midwestern flood. The young volunteers were dubbed the “Little Six.” After Clara states her case, she must find information that will help her build a strong case. She needs documentation. She visits redcross.org and finds lots of evidence of youth involvement in the history of the American Red Cross. This is what she found. The Facilitator does not have to read every word that is on this slide and the next. A summary would suffice. Identify Your Audience Research The Case Find Documentation Identify The Issues And Facts Input Red Cross Story

What is youth involvement? Involving youth and young adults in all aspects of the Red Cross (service delivery, leadership, governance) Youth and young adults = age 24 and younger Youth: 18 and under Young Adult: 19-24 Young people under age 25 make up 29% of all Red Cross volunteers! After she finds documentation, Clara must then research her case. She defines youth involvement and lists all relevant information associated with it. Here is a summary of what she found and how she incorporated it in her case. Identify Your Audience Research The Case Find Documentation Identify The Issues And Facts Input Red Cross Story

What is youth involvement? Youth involvement does not mean an expensive, separate youth program Youth involvement is not just for chapters who already do everything very well We can build our chapter through youth involvement! Identify Your Audience Research The Case Find Documentation Identify The Issues And Facts Input Red Cross Story

Diversity People choosing the “some other race” category to describe themselves have the youngest median age (24.6). Approximately 97 percent of people choosing “some other race” were Hispanic. Other groups Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone (27.5) American Indian and Alaska Native alone (28.0) Black or African American alone (30.2) Asian alone (32.7) White alone (37.7) Having diverse volunteers serving diverse communities is a key priority for our organization and youth are one of the most diverse groups. Clara did her research and integrated relevant data on Diversity in her case. The information Clara presents here is data from the 2000 United States Census which is available in the toolkit appendix Identify Your Audience Research The Case Find Documentation Identify The Issues And Facts Input Red Cross Story

Facts: Young people require some degree of special recruitment and treatment as volunteers Liability Opportunities to socialize Accommodations for school schedules The fourth step in building a case is to identify the main issues commonly associated with it and to lay down the facts. In our example : Clara addresses the main issues associated with involving youth in Red Cross service delivery and present all benefits associated with youth involvement. Identify Your Audience Research The Case Find Documentation Identify The Issues And Facts Input Red Cross Story

What can young people do in the Red Cross? Disaster Services Participate in disaster drills. Health & Safety Services Teach first aid and CPR. International Services Raise money for the Measles Initiative. Blood Services Make reminder calls. AFES Write to troops. Clara identifies the roles youth volunteers can have at the Chapter. She realizes that youth can be involved in SO MANY services of the American Red Cross. She gives examples of what youth can do underneath each line of business. Identify Your Audience Research The Case Find Documentation Identify The Issues And Facts Input Red Cross Story

Business case Two-thirds of adult volunteers began volunteering when they were young. Adults who began volunteering as youth are twice as likely to volunteer as those who did not volunteer when they were younger. In every income and age group, those who volunteered as youth gave and volunteered more than those who did not. Clara has done so much research and is energized to present her case, but she is not quite done yet. She needs to identify who her audience is. Who will she be presenting this case to? Will it be her Chapter’s Volunteer Coordinator? Chapter Executive? Maybe she would like to get help from developing her case from another volunteer. Perhaps a youth? Clara needs to present her case in a professional manner and the information she gives must represent her audience. For example, the youth volunteer may want to know what he/she can do within the organization. A Chapter Executive may want to be fully informed of liability issues as well as the various services youth can be involved in. Identify Your Audience Research The Case Find Documentation Identify The Issues And Facts Input Red Cross Story

Business case About 55% of young people volunteer, almost twice the rate of adults. Identify Your Audience Research The Case Find Documentation Identify The Issues And Facts Input Red Cross Story

My American Red Cross Story Identify Your Audience Clara’s case needs another key element: the personal touch. She needs to add her personal American Red Cross Story. Her story will make her case compelling. The two minute “elevator speech” will allow you to fully convey the message and passion behind your case. Clara’s presentation is no longer a generic case about youth involvement, but a case everyone will want to hear and support. Although Clara presents her case with a power point, other methods can be used. Power point does not equal strong case. A compelling case can be in the form of an article of video. The Facilitator will present the MTV Cause Effect – American Red Cross Video Research The Case Find Documentation Identify The Issues And Facts Input Red Cross Story