What Works in Youth Engagement?What Works in Youth Engagement?

Presentation by Cathryn L. Thorup, Ph.D.at the

Democracy and Governance WorkshopU.S. Agency for International Development

June 16, 2005

What is Youth Engagement?What is Youth Engagement?

YouthYouth Civic Civic

EngagementEngagement Community Community

ServiceService Service LearningService Learning

Definitions and Objectives

Promoting Youth EngagementPromoting Youth Engagement

Albania: Balkans Youth Link-Albania

Two Approaches

Promoting Youth EngagementPromoting Youth EngagementTwo Approaches

Romania: New Horizons Foundation

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

Combining the development of life skills with social actionCombining the development of life skills with social action Creating a fun learning environmentCreating a fun learning environment Using non-formal education as a way to develop new skillsUsing non-formal education as a way to develop new skills Creating social incubatorsCreating social incubators Listening to youth/Trusting youthListening to youth/Trusting youth Recognizing youthRecognizing youth Appropriate level of challengeAppropriate level of challenge Giving youth responsibilityGiving youth responsibility Learning by doingLearning by doing Building skills for the workplaceBuilding skills for the workplace Inviting all youth to participateInviting all youth to participate

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

Serving both in-school and Serving both in-school and out-of-school youthout-of-school youth

Building a positive enabling Building a positive enabling environmentenvironment

Bridging societal divides Bridging societal divides through teamworkthrough teamwork

Raising visibility/Building Raising visibility/Building credibilitycredibility

Opportunities to engage at all Opportunities to engage at all levels: Local to globallevels: Local to global

Strengthening the NGO sectorStrengthening the NGO sector Inter-sectoral partneringInter-sectoral partnering Context mattersContext matters Scaling upScaling up

Key Components of a SuccessfulKey Components of a SuccessfulYouth Engagement ProgramYouth Engagement Program

Key Components of a SuccessfulKey Components of a SuccessfulYouth Engagement ProgramYouth Engagement Program

Youth-drivenYouth-driven Needs-basedNeeds-based Offers a safe, neutral atmosphereOffers a safe, neutral atmosphere Engages parents, peers, teachers and others in Engages parents, peers, teachers and others in

the communitythe community Develops critical life skills, including work skillsDevelops critical life skills, including work skills Provides up-to-date-information on issues Provides up-to-date-information on issues

critical to youthcritical to youth Develops computer and language skillsDevelops computer and language skills Provides opportunities for civic advocacy and Provides opportunities for civic advocacy and

service projectsservice projects

Key Components of a SuccessfulKey Components of a SuccessfulYouth Engagement ProgramYouth Engagement Program

Engages youth in design, Engages youth in design, implementation and evaluationimplementation and evaluation

Offers graduated levels of Offers graduated levels of challengechallenge

Builds connections among youth Builds connections among youth across societal dividesacross societal divides

Provides opportunities for youth to Provides opportunities for youth to take the leadtake the lead

Combines learning and social Combines learning and social action with fun activitiesaction with fun activities

Builds skills and confidenceBuilds skills and confidence Fosters capacity-sharing through Fosters capacity-sharing through

networks of like-minded NGOsnetworks of like-minded NGOs

Key Components of a SuccessfulKey Components of a Successful

Youth Engagement ProgramYouth Engagement Program Pursues partnerships with Pursues partnerships with

business, government, and business, government, and civil society actorscivil society actors

Works with public officials Works with public officials to create a positive to create a positive enabling environmentenabling environment

Provides both volunteer Provides both volunteer and paid opportunities for and paid opportunities for employment employment

Raises the visibility of Raises the visibility of youth in the community youth in the community and recognizes their and recognizes their contributionscontributions

Builds social capitalBuilds social capital