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With Kids Care Week approaching, October is the perfect time for all of us in the volunteerism
world to think and learn about what it takes to involve young people in our
organizations. How can we benefit
from youth serving alongside us to make a difference? Take a look
at some of the resources below for ideas.
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 Featured Book
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 Get the Word Out!
by Jenny Sazama and Karen S.
Young
An articulate, provocative
booklet that, "explores the reasons why young people should be decision
makers, details the oppression that keeps them from being actively involved,
and offers various tips and exercises that can help both young people and adults
think strategically about ending young people's oppression."
Order the book NOW!
(e-book, US $5.00)
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More Resources about Young Volunteers
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Step-by-Step
Ideas for how young people can discover what they care about, gain support, and
implement a plan for change.
Children as Volunteers
How to integrate volunteers under the age of 14 into an existing adult
volunteer program: multi-age teams, designing work, preparing the agency,
liaisoning with schools, and legal issues.
An Asset Builder's Guide to Youth Leadership
Sensible and inspiring advice for adults who truly want to engage young people
in meaningful leadership volunteer roles, with how-to tips on everything from
recruitment to intergenerational meetings.
e-Volunteerism
article: Engaging Generation Y
In this Keyboard Roundtable, an
international panel explores what it is that makes Generation Y 'tick.' The panel examines ways that all volunteer programs can involve this important
ingredient into their participant mix. e-Volunteerism
subscribers can log in here.
e-Volunteerism article:
The Legacy of Volunteering by Children
For all sorts of legitimate and
prejudicial reasons, a lot of organizations debate whether or not they want to
welcome volunteers younger than age 14 (or even 16 or 18). But history provides
many examples of how even the youngest of citizens have had an impact by taking
up a cause and working for its success. This e-Volunteerism article presents a wide range of examples of
volunteering by children in the United States and around the world over the
last 200 years. e-Volunteerism
subscribers can log in here.
Energize Library: Youth and Students in Service
Visit
this page in our Free Volunteer Management Resource Library for a long list of
articles, excerpts, free e-books, and links to other sites focused on youth in
volunteering and service.
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Book Excerpt
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Why
Young People Should Be Decision Makers
Excerpted from Get the Word Out!: Going
Public about Young People's Power by Jenny Sazama and Karen S. Young
There are many reasons young people
should be decision makers to improve their own schools, lives, and communities.
Below are some primary reasons to involve youth; a more detailed description of
these ideas can be found in the Youth on Board publication 15 Points: Successfully Involving Youth in
Decision Making.
It's a diversity issue. Even though they may not have
years of formal experience, youth offer intelligence, creative thinking, and a
valuable outlook on the world that is seldom introduced into the governance of
organizations.
It's
a democracy issue. To make a
democracy work, all people need to be heard. This includes the voices of young
people. We need to hear their views, ideas, and passions and act on their ideas
for democracy to thrive in future generations.
It's a bottom-line issue. Young people are uniquely qualified to say what
works for young people. By relying on young decision makers to provide personal
insights, talk with friends, and organize youth focus groups, organizations can
save time and money by catching decisions that might not work well with young
people before they are enacted and fail.
It's
a civil rights issue. Nowhere in the
United States Declaration of Independence is there a stipulation concerning
age. "All men are created equal," all are entitled to "certain unalienable
rights." In far too many situations, young people are not being heard. Their
rights are being disregarded or violated, and adults do not seem to hear or
care about it.
It's
a youth development issue. Leadership
helps young people develop confidence in their opinions and ideas. In addition
to fostering confidence, participating as a leader can introduce youth to a
range of other skills -- public speaking, budgeting, leading projects and committees,
and networking, to name a few. By creating visible youth decision-making positions,
you can impact the self-esteem of young people in your organization and
throughout your community.
It's a long-term growth issue. Adding
young people to the governance of an aging organization can usher in a new
generation of leadership.
It's an organizational culture issue. Youth can enliven
the atmosphere of your organization by bringing energy, enthusiasm, and
interactive work processes. They often remind us that work and fun are not
mutually exclusive. Techniques like small group discussions or brainstorming
encourage teamwork and foster better communication.
It's
a community outreach issue. Young
people bring an entirely new community of contacts to your organization. By
adding youth to your decision making body, you are expanding your circle of clients,
constituents, or consumers, and adding to their understanding of your group.
It's an integrity issue. It is important for any
organization to involve its constituents. Just as it would not make sense for
the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) to be
run exclusively by Caucasians, it does not make sense for youth-serving organizations
to be run exclusively by adults.
Permission
is granted for organizations to reprint this excerpt. Reprints must
provide full acknowledgment of the source, as cited here:
Excerpted from Get the Word Out!: Going Public about Young
People's Power by Jenny Sazama and Karen S. Young. Found in the Energize,
Inc. Online Bookstore at http://www.energizeinc.com/store/1-206-E-1.
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Energize, Inc.
5450 Wissahickon Ave., C-13
Philadelphia, PA 19144
info@energizeinc.com
www.energizeinc.com
Energize empowers and inspires leaders of volunteers worldwide. Our specialty is creating and selecting the most relevant, innovative resources in volunteer management. We're advocates for the power of volunteers and for the recognition of the leaders who unleash it.
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