1. Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Binjal Chadhari (HEHS Senior) Aishwarya Ganesh (HEHS Senior)

2. Positive Youth Development Good youth development tends to be steered not by the work of a single organization, but by community coalitions that involve youth participation.

3. Traditional Approach to Programs for Youth  Youth are seen as problems  Youth are not invited to be involved in addressing societal issues

4. Adultism & Adultcentrism Adultism: Bias for adults Adultcentrism: deciding for and taking control of young people without their involvement. http://www.freechild.org/YouthVoice/discrimination.htm

5. Adults’ Perception of Youth (Farkas, 1997)  Adolescence is viewed as a time of storm and stress: Risky behavior Peer conformity Rude, irresponsible and wild

6. As a result…  Isolation of young people from other adults  Decreased likelihood of engagement

7. Guide for Engaging Youth 1. Youth as partners 2. Youth as decision makers 3. Youth as a key resource 4. Build a culture where youth involvement is pivotal

8. Youth-Adult Partnerships: Adult Role  Being open to the energy and insights of young people.  Learning to work with youth, not for them.  Listening to youth rather than telling them.  Letting go of your role as a parent or teacher to share power and responsibilities.

9. Youth-Adult Partnerships: Youths Role  Share our ideas and point of view  Take the lead rather than waiting for instructions / guidance  Be responsible, trustworthy and age appropriate  Not take the role of “the other”  Making our voice be heard and not allow adultism / adultcentrism silence us

10. Youth Involved Organizations More successful in outreach efforts More successful in outcomes Increased sense of community by both youth and adults Zeldin & Topitzes, 2002

11. Questions / Comments

12. Works Consulted Youth-Adult Partnership and Positive Youth development. Retrieved on line August 5, 2014. http://www1.cyfernet.org/prog/teen/02-youthadult.pdf http://www1.cyfernet.org/prog/teen/02-youthadult.pdf Zeldin, Shepherd, Camino, Linda, & Calvert, Matthew (2002). Youth participation in community decision- making: Implications for policy and practice. Social Policy Report. Anne Arbor: Society for Research on Child Development. Excerpted from Younger Voices, Stronger Choices: Promise Project's Guide to Forming Youth/Adult Partnerships, by Michael McLarney and Loring Leiger, 1997, YMCA of Greater Kansas City. http://www.freechild.org/YouthVoice/publications.htm