1. Child & Youth Engagement For questions about content, contact: Monique Ford, Public Health Nurse, Halton Region Monique.ford@halton.ca

2. What does child & youth engagement mean to you? Discuss at your tables Come up with concepts to describe it - something that encompasses what it truly is. Be creative

4. “Empowering all youth as valued partners in addressing, and making decisions about issues that affect them personally and/or that they believe to be important. It is about adults working with youth to create opportunities for young people to become involved and contribute to the betterment of an organization and/or community in which they live.” Pereira, 2007 What is Youth Engagement?

5.  Meaningful Engagement: work has a purpose.  Beyond Programming: youth involved at all stages of planning.  Organizational Commitment: buy-in is required from the organization.  Valuing Youth: seeing youth as assets today not just the leaders of the future.  Youth-Adult Partnerships: adult support is needed to help youth build skills and also provide access to decision-makers.  Realistic Expectations: important to take youth development into consideration; balance between current strengths of youth and helping them to build new skills. Youth Engagement Principles

6. The most important thing is to assess where you are on the ladder!

7.  There are opportunities for children and youth to give voice to what happens in our programs.  Prompts:  Is it meaningful participation?  Do we listen, validate and act on what they say?  Do we get representation from a diversity of children and youth?  When do we include them? At what stage of planning?  Do we provide opportunities for mentoring and skill- building? Agree or disagree?

8.  Warm and welcoming environment  Allow youth to be active contributors in the design, development and implementation of programs  Assign adults allies to work with youth  Provide transportation/cover cost of transportation  Hire youth to work in their organization  Provide honorarium for youth time  Provide flexible hours of operation  Seek feedback from youth to improve their services  Involve youth in development of policies for their organization (e.g. youth engagement) What are characteristics of a youth-friendly organization?

9. What are the risks and benefits of involving youth? Benefits to Youth  Improves health outcomes by reducing risk behaviours  Increases their skills and experiences  Opportunity for contribute to society (youth as resources) Risks:  Are there any? Benefits to Adults  Young people have strengths, ideas, and insights that we can benefit and learn from  Will improve our services (by getting the input of those we serve) Risks:  You may receive feedback you are not prepared to act on.

10. 10 – 13 years14 – 17 years18-21 years For Fun Help Others Learn New Things Curious about issue Meet New People Make friends Get friends involved Build Social Skills Create Opportunities Open doors Diversity self Builds Confidence Makes you feel good Help Others Try New Things Meet New People Create Opportunities Build your resume Build your knowledge of the issue Build yourself as a person Gives you experience in the field Personal Fulfillment Gives you a sense of accomplishment Help Others Meet New People Top reasons why youth get involved

11.  Time  Budget  Transportation  Communication  No buy-in about importance of youth involvement  Assumptions What are barriers to engaging youth?

12.  Be genuine  Be clear  Be open-minded  Show respect  See the best in them  Ask them for their opinion and ideas  Give meaningful roles  Avoid assumptions How can adults connect better with young people?

13. Example: Unity Charity

14. “Youth is, after all, just a moment, but it is the moment, the spark, that you always carry in your heart.” Raisa M. Gorbachev “Youth is, after all, just a moment, but it is the moment, the spark, that you always carry in your heart.” Raisa M. Gorbachev