Promoting Active Youth Citizenship
Volume 2NUMBER 11DECEMBER 2007Promoting Active Youth CitizenshipImagine young volunteers in Turkey teaching disadvantagedchildren the joys of art Brazilian youth mentoring low-incomechildren in how to read Nigerian students equipping their peers withcomputer skills and young people in Hungary restoring a public park.Each of these examples is part of a larger story of young peopleplaying an active role in contributing to their communities. Eachhas emerged from a global youth development initiative of theInternational Youth Foundation and Nokia. Launched in 2000, theinitiative equips young people with the knowledge and skills theyneed to participate as active citizens — now and in the future.Why the focus on youth civic engagement? “Healthy communitiesbegin with everyone playing a role in civic life,” says MartinSandelin, Vice President of CSR and Community Involvement atNokia. “In light of today’s social and environmental challenges,it’s more important than ever before to prepare young people toassume active roles in society. We’ve seen the positive results theseprograms can have on young people, on those they serve, and thecommunities where they live. Everyone can benefit.”Studies have shown that youth who volunteer are more apt to beactively engaged in their communities as adults. According to anOutcomes Measurement Study conducted by Brandeis Universityof the IYF-Nokia supported volunteer programs, 72 percent of participating youth continued their involvement in volunteer projectsafter completing the program, with a significant percentage of youthreporting improved performance in school.Field Notes is a publication series of the International Youth Foundationdesigned to promote best practices and innovative approachesin the youth development arena.
-2-Twenty ReasonsWhy Youth CivicEngagement MattersCaptured here are the experiences of IYF partners in Argentina,Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Each reflects onwhy youth civic engagement is important and how to delivereffective programs. Included are insights on how to trainyouth volunteers and promote an ethic of civic action amongyoung people.Young people who become engaged in their communities:Nurturing a Culture of Active Youth Citizenship1. Learn to relate to volunteering and communityservice in a positive way.2. Tend to do better in school as a result.3. Are less likely to feel socially excluded.4. Are far more likely to vote and participate involunteer activities in the future.5. Are more apt to avoid negative influences intheir environment (e.g., substance abuse, crime).6. Connect in positive ways with parents, schools,and the wider community.7. Develop essential life skills (e.g., confidence,goal setting, decision-making, and teamwork)that prepare them for their roles as adults.8. Learn valuable workplace and career skills (e.g.,effective communication, planning, projectmanagement, and budgeting).9. Associate citizenship with carryingresponsibilities as well as rights.10. View their community and their role in societyin more positive ways.Communities where young people are supported inplaying an active role, benefit from:11. The energy and optimism of youth.12. A more engaged citizenry as youth volunteersgrow into civic-minded adults.13. Young people who feel a greater sense ofbelonging.14. Innovative solutions to social and environmentalchallenges.15. Youth who gain practical knowledge andproblem-solving abilities through learning bydoing.16. Valuing youth as assets — not as problems to besolved.17. Understanding youth perspectives on a range ofissues.18. Greater numbers of youth who participate inservice activities launched by their peers.19. Youth who are equipped with the core lifeskills (e.g., communication, planning, decisionmaking, and responsibility) that employers need.20. Developing the leadership potential of youth.In countries with a limited tradition of volunteerism, IYF partnersare working to transform public perceptions of the benefits ofengaging youth in contributing to their communities. This isespecially true in Eastern and Central European countries wherethe legacy of the past continues to exert a negative influence onpeople’s attitudes toward volunteering.“The word ‘volunteer’ has a different meaning in the CzechRepublic,” says Anna Kačabová, Programme Manager at the CivilSociety Development Foundation (NROS). “Under communism, wehad ‘working Saturdays’ when everyone had to go to the forest andclean it whether they wanted to or not,” she recalls.Through its support of youth-led volunteer projects, NROS ishelping to change entrenched beliefs. “Supporting young peoplein implementing projects in their communities is the best wayto demonstrate that volunteerism is good,” Kačabová explains.Since 2002, NROS has implemented the Připoj Se program whichprovides training and financial support to young volunteers,ages 16 to 24. To date, the program has reached more than 3,300young people, whose efforts have benefited over 150,000community members.Rather than preach the merits of volunteerism, NROS hosts forumsand media events that allow youth volunteers to demonstratefirst-hand their creativity and impact within communities. In thefall of 2007, for example, NROS sponsored a festival showcasing theyouth-led projects it supports. Held at a baroque castle northeastof Prague, the festival attracted nearly 5,000 people. In addition toexamples of youth-led projects, the festival featured top bands andentertainment. Together, these activities communicated the messagethat volunteering is not only beneficial to the community, but can befun and engender a strong sense of community spirit.In Hungary, the Make a Connection-Kapcsolódj be! program alsoworks to influence public attitudes toward civic engagement.Carried out by the Foundation for Democratic Youth (DIA), anational NGO, the program provides youth, ages 14 to 25, withsmall grants and training to implement volunteer projects. Since theprogram’s launch in 2003, regional coordinators have visited schoolsand briefed teachers, principals, and students on the opportunitiesavailable through Kapcsolódj be! In classes, program staff offer“civic minutes” — talks whereby they describe the benefits andopportunities of volunteering.
-3-VWe don’t just talk about believingin young people, we do it.W— Hamori Zoltan, Programme Manager,Foundation for Democratic Youth, Hungarysignificant interest in and support for youth volunteerism. “Itchanged how people think of volunteerism and youngsters,” saysHamori Zoltan, DIA Programme Manager. “Several million peoplewere able to see the difference young people could make.”n In the Czech Republic,Připoj Se participants launcheda canine therapy programbenefiting hospital patients.In 2006, DIA seized an opportunity to generate national and international visibility for its activities through serving as the NationalCoordinating Committee of Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) inHungary. Carried out in more than 120 countries, GYSD celebratesand mobilizes young people to contribute to their communities.Annual GYSD events organized in Hungary have generatedPoliticians, too, began to take note of young people’s potentialand contributions. In the city of Tatabanya, a DIA-supportedyouth group took steps to renovate a local playground.Community members got excited and joined the effort. Beforelong, the local government stepped in and launched a threeyear program to upgrade all local playgrounds to comply withEuropean Union standards.Still, the road has not been easy. Parents, explains Zoltan, havetrouble understanding why their children should commit theirtime and energy for free. Many parents prefer that their childrenfocus on getting good grades in school. Making the case thatyoung people learn concrete skills through public service hasbeen a challenge for DIA. Often, what changes parents’ attitudesis seeing their children develop practical skills they can use inpursuing their future career interests.Youth as social innovatorsYoung people possess the ability to look at old problems in new ways — offering innovative solutions to social andenvironmental challenges. For example: In Belgium, young hip-hop artists engaged in theFuture Smile program (see page 5) created a musicCD devoted to the theme of global warming. Thecover of the CD was made entirely of recycledmaterials, with a portion of sales donated tosupport local environmental initiatives. In the Czech Republic, a Připoj Se participantmobilized her peers to develop a ‘canine therapy’program. Accompanied by trained dogs, theyouth bring cheer to hospital patients and offera welcome reprieve from their daily routine. Theproject was so successful that it attracted thesupport of local businesses. Another youth groupin Prague built a skateboarding park, whereyoung people could pursue their hobby in a safeenvironment. The park ended legal violationsagainst young people who formerly practiced thesport in public spaces. In Poland, young participants in the Make aConnection program received support to establish apottery studio in their community, where young andold alike exercise their creativity. In the absenceof productive leisure activities, the studio provideslocal youth with a safe, supportive space to connectto each other — and their talents. In Thailand, students addressed the issue ofexcessive noise in their community by bringingtogether motorcyclists, law enforcement officials,and mechanics to refit bikes and reinforcetraffic laws.
-4-Teaching Life and Citizenship SkillsEngaging young people in their communities offers a potentmeans of teaching life skills — from confidence to effective communication, from problem-solving to teamwork. A key benefit ofcivic engagement is that it offers young people a chance to ‘learnby doing.’Says DIA’s Zoltan, “It’s very important that young people do whatthey feel is important. We don’t prescribe.” The sixty youth projectsthat DIA currently supports are involved in a range of activities —from producing TV shows to organizing medieval festivals.The type of experiential learning offered through Kapcsolódj be!stands in sharp contrast to the authoritarian teaching styles mostparticipants experience at school. Classes are based on teachers lecturing and students memorizing facts. “When youngsters are able toexperience what they are learning, it motivates them,” says Zoltan.Indeed, according to the Outcomes Measurement Study conductedby Brandeis, 61% of respondents reported that the Hungary programcontributed to their being more productive in school. By instilling amore engaged, as opposed to passive, approach to learning, the programprepares young people to play a more pro-active role in pursuingtheir long-term goals and contributing to the future of their nation.Promoting Social InclusionWithin low-income communities, youth who become involvedin volunteer activities are less likely to succumb to feelingsof alienation and socialexclusion. In Argentina,for example, the PostaJoven program buildssocial capital throughcreating linkages betweenyouth, schools, andmunicipal authorities.Vn Participants in the Posta Joven programin Argentina nurture civic pride throughpainting murals that celebrate localhistory and culture.Part of what makes the program unique isthe focus on the arts and communications— topics of interest to youth through whichthey are able to express themselves and contribute to society.In Bariloche, in south-central Argentina, program participantscreated a 24-hour radio show that allows them to explorecommunity issues from a youth perspective. In another disadvantaged community inBuenos Aires, a youthgroup painted muralson public spaces thatcelebrate the area’shistory and culture.Our biggest achievement is that youthhave gained skills to view themselves,their community, and their futures in amore positive light.W“What’s most importantis that the youth feelproductive,” saysKandel. “They’re notjust recipients ofservices, they are creating something for the good of thecommunity. Our biggest achievement is that youth havegained skills to view themselves, their community, and theirfutures in a more positive light.”— Rolando Kandel, Program Director,Fundación SES, ArgentinaThe program, which isbeing implemented byFundación Sustenabilidad,Educación, and Solidaridad (SES), reaches out to disadvantagedyouth, ages 17 to 24, growing up in poor communities in fourregions of the country. It begins by identifying promising youngleaders and training them in life and leadership skills. Theseyouth then provide art and communications workshops to theiryounger peers. Youth groups are also eligible to receive smallgrants to support their community service projects.“Our approach is to treat the entire context the youth are in— engaging youth, community networks, and when possible,linking with schools and municipal authorities,” says RolandoKandel, Program Director, Fundación SES.Training and Supporting Youth VolunteersYoung people are capable of developing innovative andlasting solutions to community needs; yet they often requireadditional knowledge and skills to achieve their social changevisions. IYF partners provide training and technical assistanceto youth volunteer groups in a range of areas from projectmanagement and fundraising to how to develop a budget and
-5-ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLEAS ACTIVE CITIZENS:questions to considerIn developing youth citizenship programs, considerthe following: What is the current environment related to youthvolunteerism in your country? What barriers, if any,exist and how might you address them? What resources/services are available to youngvolunteers now? What gaps do you seek to fill? What should be the geographic scope of your program? If your goal is to implement a multi-regionalor national program, what organizations mightserve as local implementing partners? What are the training needs of those youth you seekto engage? In addition to formal training, how willyou go about providing on-going technical supportand trouble-shooting to youth groups? Do you have a public outreach and media strategy inplace for publicizing your program to potential youthgroups and to sensitize adults as to the importance ofyour efforts? How will you go about screening/selecting young peopleto your program? Bear in mind that forming a selection committee of diverse stakeholders can help buildgoodwill and networks for your program. How do you seek to engage the wider community inthe success of your program? What skills might youthneed to develop in order to effectively cooperate withadults? Have you considered how you might involve donorsto your program in its implementation? IYF partnershave engaged Nokia employees as judges whoreview youth project proposals and as mentors/informal advisors to youth groups carrying outvolunteer projects. Is it necessary to offer grant support to youth-ledvolunteer projects, and if so, what amount is appropriate within your country context? How do you intend to monitor/evaluate youth groups —both in terms of the success of their activities and interms of your broader program goals? Have you considered ways of maintaining alumniengagement in your program, and monitoring thelong-term impact of the program on “graduates?”VFor us, the most important thing isthat young people learn to think insystemic ways. They learn not to buythe cheapest t-shirt but the one that’sfair trade. They think through how toreuse and recycle materials.— Christine Castille, Program Manager,Foundation for Future Generations, BelgiumWconduct media outreach. Life skills development is a key focus— equipping young people to effectively plan and implementservice projects.In Hungary, the Kapscolódj be! program emphasizes the importance of young people working together as a team, among othertopics. “When they’re in groups they have to make decisions, theyhave to learn to cooperate with others,” says DIA’s Zoltan. “This ishow we go about teaching how a democracy works.” Trainings areoffered on weekends and are carried out at the local and nationallevel. Program participants choose those training needs theywish to address and receive ongoing technical support from theprogram’s regional coordinators.In Belgium, the Future Smile program equips volunteer youthgroups with the knowledge and skills to incorporate sustainabledevelopment thinking into their work. “Training is at the core ofwhat we offer young people,” says Christine Castille, ProgramManager at the Foundation for Future Generations, which isimplementing the program.Prior to being selected, youth groups are required to outline intheir proposal how they intend to contribute to the “3Ps:” Planet,People, and Profit. In other words, projects need to articulate theirenvironmental, social, and economic benefits to society. Onceselected, participants attend a weekend training. The trainingfocuses on 12 themes designed to strengthen their project’ssustainability, including responsible consumption, team-building,ecological principles, budgeting, communications, and civicengagement. On the last day, participants engage in a ‘speeddating’ exercise, in which they have ten minutes to discuss theirprojects with experts in fair trade, economics, the environment,and other areas.“For us, the most important thing is that young people learn tothink in systemic ways,” says Castille. “They learn not to buy thecheapest t-shirt but the one that’s fair trade. They think throughhow to reuse and recycle materials.” In the process, youth develop
-6-life skills in critical thinking and problem solving. WhileBelgium has a tradition of volunteering, it’s mostlyfocused on short-term engagements (e.g., assisting ina fundraising drive). Through its efforts, Future Smiledeepens young people’s involvement through a moreholistic, long-term approach.Sustaining Youth-led Serviceto CommunitiesTo what extent do young volunteers continue theirservice work after participating in a formal program?According to the Brandeis study, more than 70percent of youth engaged in IYF-Nokia supportedvolunteer programs continued their service workafter “graduating.” In several countries, activealumni groups have formed.In the Czech Republic, for example, the Alumnik Klubformed in 2004 has 29 members. While some membersare continuing the projects they launched throughthe program, the club has also initiated new serviceactivities. In 2005, club members raised funds to hold aweeklong meeting with their peers involved in similarNokia-supported programs in Hungary, Poland, andRussia. The group also raised financial support fromthe Vodafone Foundation and EU Youth Programmeto deepen their skills and provide training services toother youth volunteer groups. In early 2008, the groupplans to travel to Nigeria with support from the IYFNokia initiative to share their experiences with youngleaders there.LESSONS LEARNEDIYF partners cite the following “lessons learned” inpromoting and strengthening youth civic engagement: Creating a culture that supports youth-led volunteeractivities takes time. Adults’ attitudes toward youngpeople’s capabilities and societal attitudes towardvolunteerism vary from country to country. IYF partnershave found that the best way to ‘make the case’ for youthled social change is through providing media and otherplatforms where young people can demonstrate theirimpact in the community, the skills they have developed,and their enthusiasm for making a difference. Publicizing volunteer project opportunities to targeted youthrequires detailed planning and networking with schools,community-based organizations, the media, and others to“get the word out.” Unsuccessful outreach can result intoo few youth applying to your program. Over-publicizinga program places an extra burden on staff responsible forreviewing project proposals and results in an inordinatenumber of youth being rejected. IYF partners have hadto strike the pr
16. Valuing youth as assets — not as problems to be solved. 17. Understanding youth perspectives on a range of issues. 18. Greater numbers of youth who participate in service activities launched by their peers. 19. Youth who are equipped with the core life skills (e.g., communication, planning, decision-making, and responsibility) that .
Swimming. There were many more merit badges that you could have earned then that are similar to those of today. For example the Angling merit badge became the Fishing merit badge in 1951. Civics became Citizenship in 1946, and in 1952, Citizenship expanded into Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Home, and Citizenship in the Nation.
the Youth Coordinator getting to know a youth, developing trust, becoming familiar with the youth’s culture, and focusing on what the youth hopes to achieve during their time together. During this phase, the Youth Coordinator is able to learn what resources will best suit the youth and what level of support will help the youth succeed.
SPARC T3-4 ActiveAug 2012 SPARC T4-1 Mar 2016 Active SPARC T4-1B Sep 2014 Active SPARC T4-2 Dec 2014 Active SPARC T4-4 Dec 2014 Active SPARC T5-1 Aug 2016 Active SPARC T5-2 Aug 2017 Active SPARC T5-4 Aug 2017 Active SPARC T5-8 Aug 2017 Active SPARC T7-1 Aug 2020 Active SPARC
Youth engagement, a very specialized area of social recreation, promoting youth leadership (including youth-led initiatives) and facilitating the involvement of . Practices for Youth Development Report Page 3 Part III highlights three overarching themes common to all topics: an asset-based approach to youth development; the importance of a .
Lesson 8 What Is Global Citizenship? Lesson 9 Success within Global Citizenship Lesson 10 the Future of Global Citizenship Note: CHV20 is based on the Ministry of Education’s curriculum guidelines, Canadian and World Studies, Grades 9 and 10. REFERENCES Evans, M., Evans, R., Slodovnick, M., & Zoric, T. (2000). Citizenship: Issues and
reducing employees’ citizenship fatigue, while impression management motives will undermine thriving at work through inducing citizenship fatigue. This study further found that task performance strengthened the positive relationship between impression management motives and citizenship fatigue.
Global Citizenship RepoRt 2009 Citizenship at Citi Read about our Citizenship priorities, management approach and stakeholder engagement on page 7. Responsible Finance hear how we meet the needs of consumers and clients, treating them fairly and providing support when needed on page 12. How Microfinance W
Reading: Literature Second Grade Key Ideas and Details Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity Craft and Structure Integration of Knowledge and Ideas. Indicator Date Taught Date Retaught Date Reviewed Date Assessed Date Re-Assessed CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.1 I can ask and answer who, what, where, when, why and how questions to show that I understand nonfiction. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.2 I .
