PART A: TOOLS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE FUNDAMENTALS · 2016. 10. 27. · 30 Overview Some difficulties...

TOOLS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE FUNDAMENTALS

PART A:

We all know how critical it is for a great training to

get off to a good start. Good training activities build

rapport, increase the participants’ comfort level,

and set a tone for shared learning. The activities in

this section are designed to help do just that.

Here you will find experiential learning activities for

building skills and developing trusting relationships

that support effective partnerships. Activities

provide a foundation for starting the partnership

with common expectations; define youth, adult, and

youth-adult partnerships; expand the participants’

knowledge base; and deepen their understanding of

the core concepts of effective partnerships.

These learning activities are suitable for new and

experienced youth-adult partnership participants.

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Overview

Some difficulties of youth-adult partnerships result from the assumptions that youth and adults make about each other. In this activity, the participants explore different perceptions and assumptions, and work to establish a communal definition of the terms youth and adult. The activity seeks to strengthen the foundation of the youth-adult partnerships to be developed. The activity is particularly useful given cultural differences among communities.

When to Use This Activity

This activity is best used early on in a training program on youth-adult partnerships.

Objectives• to assist the participants in exploring the assumptions youth and adults often make about

each other

• to encourage the participants to discuss and determine a communal working definition of the terms youth and adult

• to help the participants develop a common understanding of the dynamics that both youth and adults can bring to a partnership

Time Required45-60 minutes

Group Size8-40 participants

Needed Materials• markers• flip-chart paper• tape

DEFINING YOUTH AND ADULT

ACTIVITY

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Activity Steps

SET THE CONTEXT: 10 MINUTES

1 Begin by asking the participants to define community youth development. Invite a few responses, and then provide the definition as well as the following additional information:

• Engaging children and youth as equal participants in the entire process of community transformation is a unique strategy that World Vision refers to as community youth development.

• Youth-adult partnerships contribute powerfully to community transformation.

• Engaging youth and adults together as leaders of change rests on the fundamental belief that communities are stronger when they engage the full power and potential of the diversity of all of their residents.

• With young people and adults working together as partners, the community is better equipped to address fundamental challenges impeding the development of children and youth.

• Engaging young people in partnership with adults can help open pathways for involvement of other voices and create new opportunities for civic engagement among marginalized groups.

• Youth-adult partnerships, with their inherent penchant for trying new things, for innovation and for collective leadership—and for challenging others to do the same—builds community capacity to lead social, economic, and cultural change efforts.

2 Pose the following questions:

• What assumptions do youth typically make about adults?

• What assumptions do adults typically make about youth?

• Are these assumptions true?

3 Be sure to honor everyone’s comments. Emphasize that the important thing to remember about assumptions is that we need to be aware when we are making them and that we need to be careful not to make assumptions that could be detrimental to working together. We need to ensure that our assumptions do not undermine achieving true partnership in our work.

4 Note that forming and working in youth-adult partnerships reveals the challenges and benefits of working with people at the opposite end of the age spectrum. This work is sometimes difficult and always requires intentionality. Defining youth and adult—or at least discussing varying definitions of the terms—can ease the process. So today we are going to come up with our own definitions of these terms and talk about how these definitions relate to our work.

CREATE DEFINITIONS: 15 MINUTES

5 Invite the participants to form teams of 5-10. Be sure that each team includes both youth and adults. Ask the participants to share their individual definitions of the terms youth and adult. Allow a few minutes for sharing.


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6 Distribute a marker and a sheet of flip-chart paper to each team. Instruct each team to develop working definitions of the terms youth and of adult and to write these definitions on the flip-chart paper. Allow a few minutes for the teams to complete the task.

7 Ask the teams to take some time to prepare a presentation of their definitions. They can share through a skit, song, poem, role-play, message for a bumper sticker, or any other form of artistic presentation. Encourage the teams to be creative.

PRESENT DEFINITIONS: 10 MINUTES

8 Invite each team to post its definitions on the walls in the training room. Then have each group read its definitions aloud and share its presentation.

REFLECT AND DISCUSS: 10 MINUTES

9 Invite the participants to look at all the definitions posted. Then conduct a large-group discussion using the following questions:

• What do you notice about the definitions?

• What words, phrases, or images caught your attention?

• What similarities do you see among the definitions?

• What differences do you see?

• What are the benefits of operating with multiple working definitions of these terms?

• What are the challenges of operating with multiple definitions of these terms?

DEVELOP ONE DEFINITION: 10 MINUTES

10 Work with the large group to come up with one agreed-upon definition for each term. Then write the terms and agreed-upon definitions on a clean sheet of flip-chart paper and post it where all can see.

11 Conclude by inviting the participants to commit to embracing these definitions as they continue to work together in teams. Doing so will bring out the best in everyone, and will allow mutual respect and acceptance of the entire group. Restate your simple definition of CYD and why Youth Adult Partnerships are critical to the process as a review to your opening statement.

12 Before the participants leave, provide them with a brief overview of the next training session (if you are planning one). Be sure to note how the next session connects with the one they just completed.

Note: Save the agreed-upon definitions for use in later sessions.


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UNDERSTANDING THE SPECTRUM OF ATTITUDES TOWARD YOUNG PEOPLE

Overview

In this activity, the participants are introduced to a framework that helps them to understand how attitudes and perceptions can guide behavior. The activity challenges them to rid themselves of any negative assumptions they might have toward each other and to begin to envision new possibilities for collaboration and partnerships.

Background Information

Attitudes and perceptions of adults affect the degree to which young people are engaged in community activities, including program development, implementation, and evaluation. Research and experience have identified four broad perspectives for approaching youth in the context of community transformation: youth as objects, youth as recipients, youth as resources, and youth as partners.18

ACTIVITY

These four perspectives constitute an entire spectrum of attitudes.19 Manifested in practice, these attitudes dictate one’s practical approach to youth in community transformation. This framework can help adults and youth to consider how their personal perceptions influence the formation and success of youth-adult partnerships. Used as a learning and reflection opportunity, this continuum can inspire adults and youth to envision new possibilities for collaboration and partnership.

YOUTH AS OBJECTS: Adults exercise arbitrary and near total control over youth. (to)

YOUTH AS RECIPIENTS: Actions of adults are based on what they believe is good for youth. (for)

YOUTH AS RESOURCES: Young people provide input into decisions, but they are still primarily in a helping role. (for and with)

YOUTH AS PARTNERS: Youth and adults equally share decision-making power and responsibility. (with)


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Youth as ObjectsYouth as Recipients

Youth as ResourcesYouth as Partners

ATTITUDE TYPE

When to Use This ActivityUnderstanding and appreciating the spectrum of attitudes is fundamental to building the skills, awareness, and attitudes needed to develop and sustain youth-adult partnerships. It is best introduced early in a training program after some work has been done to foster intergenerational communication and to build a climate of trust and appreciation. It provides a framework that can be referred to and periodically reinforced throughout the training program.

Objectives• to help the participants understand the spectrum of attitudes toward young people and apply it

to the development of youth-adult partnerships for community transformation

• to encourage the participants to envision possibilities for collaboration between youth and adults

• to equip the participants with a common framework for approaching the work together



Needed Materials• Flip-chart

• copies of handout 1, “The Spectrum of Attitudes Overview,” found on page 38 one for each participant

• copies of handout 2, “The Spectrum Applied to Community Transformation,” found on page 39 one for each participant

• copies of resource 1, “Identify the Statement,” found on page 40-41, one for each team of four or five.

Needed Preparation• Cut apart the copies of resource 1, “Identify the Statement,” along the dotted lines to create

sets of statement slips. You will need one set of statements for each team of four to five. Alternatively, create a card deck for each team by copying each statement onto an index card, one per card.


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Activity Steps

1 If you held a previous training session, begin by reviewing the key themes. Invite the participants to recall and share what they learned.

INTRODUCE THE SPECTRUM OF ATTITUDES: 10 MINUTES

2 Explain that to build effective youth-adult partnerships, it is helpful to consider the attitudes and perceptions we bring to the task. In fact attitudes and perceptions of adults affect the degree to which young people are engaged in community activities, including program development, implementation, or evaluation. Introduce the spectrum of attitudes as a tool developed over time, based on research and experience in the field of community youth development. Explain that it provides a framework for promoting communication between youth and adults and can help us to examine underlying assumptions and envision new possibilities for how we can work together as partners.

3 Distribute to each participant a copy of handout 1, “The Spectrum of Attitudes Overview,” then provide a brief overview of the handout using these key points:

• Research and experience have identified four broad perspectives for approaching youth in the context of community transformation: youth as objects, youth as recipients, youth as resources, and youth as partners.

• These four perspectives constitute an entire spectrum of attitudes.

• The left side of the continuum represents an attitude where young people are viewed as objects, being told what to do because the adult knows what is best for them.

• As recipients, young people participate in learning experiences that adults see as being good for them. However, the real contributions of young people are seen as being deferred until some later date and learning experiences are seen as practice for later life.

• When youth are viewed as resources, their actions have immediate value to the community and there is an attitude of respect focusing on building self-esteem and being productive.

• As partners, youth share leadership and decision-making roles with adults.

4 Ask the participants to brainstorm a few examples of each type of relationship. Be prepared with your own examples to illustrate the differences if the participants struggle with ideas.

UNDERSTAND THE SPECTRUM OF ATTITUDES: 10 MINUTES

5 Distribute a copy of handout 2, “Spectrum of Attitudes Applied to Community Transformation,” to each participant. Spend a minute or two walking through the handout, highlighting the examples and helping the participants to understand the chart. Be sure to answer any questions they may have.

6 Invite the participants to form pairs to discuss the handout, highlighting what resonates with them, where they have had experiences that remind them of the chart, and any questions they may have.


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7 Reconvene the whole group. Ask the pairs to share major themes or any insights that came up when they discussed the chart. Address any questions that arose.

APPLY THE KNOWLEDGE: 20 MINUTES

8 Direct the participants to form teams of four or five. Provide each team with a set of statement slips (or cards) you prepared from resource 1, “Identify the Statement.” Ask the teams to review the statements and decide whether each is an example of youth viewed as objects, recipients, resources, or partners. Encourage them to look back at their handouts for tips.

9 Gather everyone as a large group and then review each statement, encouraging the participants to discuss differences of opinion. Share the correct answers using the answers provided here. Help the participants to understand how subtle differences in perception make a big difference in our approach, relationships, and outcomes—even when doing the same task. For example, for statement 7, if youth were required to unload the truck as part of a court-ordered community service or alternative to suspension, it would become an example of youth as objects. However, if the youth and adults worked together to share responsibility for obtaining the donations and decided together that adults would take on the driving responsibilities and the youth would unload the truck, then it is an example of a partnership approach.

Answers:

• 1, 5, 13, and 15 describe youth as objects• 3, 7, 11, and 16 describe youth as recipients• 4, 8, 10, and 12 describe youth as resources• 2, 6, 9, and 14 describe youth as partners

10 If time permits, ask the participants to refer back to handout 2, “Spectrum of Attitudes Applied to Community Transformation,” and invite them to imagine another example across the continuum, drawing from their own experience. Work through one example first with the entire group and then invite each person to fill in another row with their own example. As an alternative, you could have the participants form youth-adult pairs to come up with another example. Ask a few volunteers to share their examples and clarify as needed.


11 Conduct a large-group discussion using the following questions:

• What was challenging about this activity? What was easy?

• What surprised you when you listened to people’s responses?

• What similarities did you see in people’s perceptions? What differences?

• How have you seen this framework come up in your work or your experience?• What other applications do you see to this type of a spectrum, for example, how

youth view adults?

• How might you apply this to your work?

• How might you share this framework with other youth or adults you work with?


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12 Conclude by noting that the spectrum framework can help youth and adults to consider how their personal perceptions influence the formation and success of youth-adult partnerships. Partnership is about moving away from seeing youth as objects or recipients. It is about combining the skills of youth and adults to develop more effective programs. The continuum can inspire youth and adults to envision new possibilities for collaboration and partnership.



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Youth as Objects Adults exercise arbitrary and near total control over youth. Programs and activities are TO youth. Youth feel like tokens.

Youth as RecipientsBased on what they think is in the youth’s best interest, adults determine needs, prescribe remedies, implement solutions, and evaluate outcomes with little youth input. Programs and activities are FOR youth.

Youth as ResourcesYouth help adults in planning, implementing, and evaluating work. Programs and activities are FOR and WITH youth.

Youth as Partners (Youth-Adult Partnerships)Youth and adults share decision-making and power equally. Program, activities, and community leadership efforts are in part-nership WITH youth.

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2013 World Vision, Inc.

THE SPECTRUM OF ATTITUDES

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OVERVIEW

HANDOUT 1

ATTITUDE TYPE

Youth as ObjectsYouth as Recipients

Youth as ResourcesYouth as Partners


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THE SPECTRUM APPLIED TO COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATIONHANDOUT 2

YOUTH AS RECIPIENTS YOUTH AS RESOURCES YOUTH AS PARTNERSYOUTH AS OBJECTSTYPE OF ACTIVITY

COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT

COMMUNITY PLANNING MEETING

COMMUNITY BEAUTIFICATION

PROJECT

Demographic research on young people in the community is incorporated into the assessment.

Demographer goes to the school and presents research and assessment findings to youth.

Qualitative data is obtained from youth by adult researchers to include in the assessment (e.g. conduct focus groups, one-one-one key informant interviews).

Young people provide leadership in the assessment process by creating assessment questions, conducting research, and analyzing results in collaboration with adult researchers.

Information on youth crime and violence statistics is presented at community meeting by local public health official.

Youth observe a community planning meeting as part of a field trip for a social studies class.

Young people are invited to attend and fully participate in the community planning meeting.

Youth and adults work side by side to plan the meeting in all aspects—who attends, purpose, structure, agenda items, and help to evaluate.

Juvenile justice work crews assigned to pick up trash in vacant lot.

Youth attend keep our community clean workshops sponsored by their schools.

Environmental group invites youth to clean up trash from vacant lot and asks group to create an inspirational rap to educate other youth.

Youth and adults decide to work together to clean up trash in vacant lot and to establish a community garden they will design, plant, and manage together.

PROJECT TO IMPROVE CHILD AND YOUTH

NUTRITION IN THE COMMUNITY

Statistics about child malnutrition and poor eating habits of youth are used for advocacy with stakeholders and widely publicized in local media.

Young people are provided with free healthy meals at lunch.

Young people are asked to select from five healthy menus options to determine next month’s free meal menu.

Youth and adults work together to understand youth eating habits and opportunities to increase nutrition and decide to replace vending machines in schools with carts of healthy snacks that will be available throughout the day.

PROJECT TO REDUCE VIOLENCE IN

SCHOOLS

FILL IN YOUR OWN EXAMPLES

Metal detectors are set up at entrances to schools, and schools adopt “closed campus” policies and post anti-bullying guidelines in all classrooms and throughout the school.

All youth attend an anti-bullying workshop as part of a school assembly and are given a test to see how much they have learned.

Young people learn how to become peer educators and educate peers on anti-bullying and intimate-partner violence reduction strategies.

A team of teachers and students work together to assess school safety and identify top priorities. Team develops new safety protocols and puts in place a “peacemakers group” of teachers and students to lead anti-violence and peace-building activities.

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RESOURCE 1

IDENTIFY THE STATEMENT

1 Young people take a test at the completion of a health and nutrition class to determine how effective the teacher was.

4 Young people participate in focus-group interviews to help the outside funders understand the value of the program.

7 To help young people improve their fitness, adults have them unload the cases of donated food off the truck each week.

2 Young people and adults jointly determine which community groups will be invited to a community assessment workshop.

5 The local convenience store prohibits more than three young people under the age of 18 being in the store at the same time.

8 Young people provide adults with ideas regarding how to make the community meeting more youth friendly.

3 To help young people develop their advocacy skills, adults have young people conduct interviews of local government leaders using a script written by the program director.

6 Young people present to city council the research findings from a study they designed and conducted with their high school science teachers on local water quality and its impact on child health.

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9 Youth work with local chamber of commerce to conduct a jointly planned “sting” operation to determine which stores sell liquor to minors.

12 Young people review the public announcement of the community meeting, and make editorial suggestions to the adults regarding how it could be written in teen-friendly language.

15 Youth and adults create a public mural of their shared vision for the community.

10 Young people create a glossary of youth slang to include in the external evaluators report to the funder.

13 Youth are denied recess by school officials and required to instead remove graffiti from the school playground.

16 Youth participating in a program are required to sign in and out to prove to funders that there is good program attendance.

11 The adults managing the local community center allow young people to use the spare meeting room in their facility.

14 To promote expo-sure to civil life, youth are invited as observ-ers to the monthly city council planning meeting.


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"the problems of the present can be resolved through a new wave of energetic and creative

youth assisted by the experience and knowledge

of the past.” — SINNAI AVILA (Los Angeles, CA), youth participant

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OverviewIn this activity, the participants use a self-assessment tool to help them develop a personal learning and action plan for further self-development.

Background InformationThrough assessments, the needs and desires of the group—and of the individuals within the group—can be identified. Having a clear idea of the experiences, skill levels, and desires of group members will help to create the most appropriate youth-adult partnership learning experience. Through an assessment, the participants learn about the group’s positive and negative experience with youth-adult partnerships.

Many types of assessments can be used, depending on the size of the group and the amount of time available. On the following pages are sample assessments, one for adults and one for youth. They have similar questions and are aligned in the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors included. Their focus is slightly different, to make the youth assessment more accessible and meaningful to youth and the adult assessment more accessible and meaningful to adults.

Whether youth-adult partnerships are new to your group or organization or are already in operation, these assessments will help you to think about your group’s size, function, resources, and potential challenges as you pursue or continue youth-adult partnerships.

When to Use This ActivityA self-assessment tool can be used at the beginning of a workshop or before a series of capacity-building sessions, and at the end of a training to help the participants develop follow-up action plans. Such tools are most effective when treated as “living” documents that the participants can refer back to and update as they continue to learn and grow.

Objectives• to help the participants gain insights and knowledge about their capacity to effectively work in

youth-adult partnerships

• to assist the participants in determining actions needed to further develop their abilities to work effectively in youth-adult partnerships

• to inspire within the participants confidence in their own ability to work effectively in youth-adult partnerships

SELF-ASSESSMENT FOR YOUTH AND ADULT PARTNERSHIPS

ACTIVITY


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Time Required30 minutes

Group SizeAny size

Needed Materials• copies of handout 3, “Self-Assessment Tool for Youth,” found on page 46-47, one for each

youth participant

• copies of handout 4, “Self-Assessment Tool for Adults,” found on page 48-49, one for each adult participant

• pens or pencils, one for each participant

Activity Steps



2 Introduce the activity by sharing the following points:

• Many of us come to this partnership work with knowledge and many abilities for transforming our communities to become places where all children and young people can thrive.

• However, there are important skills, knowledge, and attitudes specifically needed for effective youth-adult partnerships.

• Each of us will take some time to complete a confidential self-assessment that will help us to consider current abilities and to determine where we might need more development.

• This self-assessment can help you to identify your current strengths, motivation, actions, and needs.

• This self-assessment can also support you in establishing new goals and in pinpointing areas of development that you may want to focus on.

• This self-assessment can assist youth-adult partnerships in becoming more effective.

• This is a confidential self-assessment. You will not be asked to share the results with anyone.

• This self-assessment is most useful if you approach it with a sense of openness and honesty. It is not helpful to be judgmental. Be candid with yourself about your strengths and areas that you want to develop.

COMPLETE THE SELF-ASSESSMENT: 6-8 MINUTES

3 Distribute a copy of handout 3, “Self-Assessment Tool for Youth,” to each youth participant and a copy of handout 4, “Self-Assessment Tool for Adult,” to each adult participant. Also provide


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everyone with a pen or pencil. Then review the assessment instructions as follows:

• There are two columns on the assessment.

• The first represents where you feel you are today, right now.

• The second represents where you would like to be (following this training or work shop, etc.).

• Use a scale of 1-5 (with 1 being the lowest, a beginner, and 5 being the highest, an expert who can teach others!).

• Gauge where you are and where you would like to be and write it in.

• For example, today I might say, “I’m at 1 in my ability to curb my own inclination to take over, and I’d like to be at a 3 by the end of the workshop.”

4 Ensure that everyone understands the directions. Then invite them to take a few minutes to complete the self-assessment on their own.

SHARE PRIORITIES FOR ACTION: 10 MINUTES

5 Invite the participants to look back over the list and place a star on the two areas where they feel they are the strongest and circle two areas in which they would like to learn and develop more. Once they have made their selections, have the participants form youth-adult pairs and share with each other their strengths and the one or two areas they have chosen to learn more about. Note that though some participants may want to share the results of their entire self-assessment, not everyone will be comfortable with sharing everything, so they are to share only two of their strengths and two of areas for development.


6 Reconvene with the entire group and lead a large-group discussion using the following questions:

• What surprised you about the self-assessment?

• How did it feel when you were completing the self-assessment? What was difficult? What was easy?

• What patterns did you notice once you were finished?

• How did it feel to identify your strengths and one or two areas to focus on to devel op further?

• What new insights do you have now about what it takes to build youth-adult partner ships?

• What are ways we can support one another as we all work to develop our abilities to work effectively in youth-adult partnerships?

7 Conclude by noting that this self-assessment is a tool the participants can use again to chart their own progress, to plan their learning, and to remind themselves of how far they have come in their own development. Remind them to save this tool. Before the participants leave, provide them with a brief overview of the next training session (if you are planning one). Be sure to note how the next session connects with the one they just completed.


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HANDOUT 3

SELF-ASSESMENT TOOL FOR YOUTH21

For each skill, attitude, behavior, and area of knowledge below, rate yourself on a scale of 1-5, 1 meaning that it is something you are new at and 5 meaning that it is something you do all the time and can teach others. In the first column, rate where you see yourself now in each area. In the second column, rate where you would like to be. When you have finished rating yourself, star two items that you consider to be strengths. Then choose two items that you hope to learn more about and develop further during this workshop and circle them.

Where I am now:

Where I am now:

Where I would like to be:


SKILLS

ATTITUDES

Communicate in a nonjudgmental manner

Listen carefully to young people and adults

Able to assess youth and adult needs, interests, and competencies

Can establish a positive learning environment for adults

Able to reflect on the effectiveness of my contribution to building and maintaining youth-adult partnerships

Affirm and validate adults’ feelings and ideas

Start by thinking, “What can this adult and I do together?” rather than, “How can I get this adult to do what I want?”

Articulate and maintain appropriate boundaries with adults

Actively and continuously seek to learn from adults

Build trust and openness in a group

Treat all group members (both youth and adult) with equal respect

Appreciate and incorporate the strength of commonalities and differences among youth and adults (gender, racial, cultural, ethnic, spiritu-al, class, economic, and sexual orientation)

Curb inclinations to take over

Respect the thinking of both young people and adults

Provide ongoing opportunities to reflect with young people and adults on mutual learning

Believe in the potential and power of all people, both youth and adults

Believe that I can make mistakes openly and without feeling badly about myself

Believe in the value of respectful dialogue between youth and adults

Believe that young people and adults can accomplish more working together than separately

Believe that every community is filled with opportunities for youth-adult partnerships to contribute to well-being of the community

Do not expect more from an adult than I would from a young person

Do not excuse my indiscretions just because I am a young person

Believe my role is as a partner with equal responsibility and accountability with adults

Reject efforts to scapegoat adults for today’s problems, and see them as community assets rather than liabilities

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Where I am now:

Where I am now:



BEHAVIORS

KNOWLEDGE

Treat adults with the respect and dignity of an equal

Careful to not “tune out” an adult

Engage with others, both youth and adults, in creating rules and guidelines that affect all of us

Work with youth and adults to create a sense of community where everyone feels trusted, respected, and empowered

Enjoy engaging in conversation with adults on issues that matter to them

Listen to adults more than talk at them

Intervene supportively when a youth or an adult puts down or devalues another or self

Take advantage of opportunities to teach and lead adults

Do not make one adult represent all adults

Establish team and organizational priorities and strategies that value youth-adult partnerships

Advocate for continual improvement of youth-adult partnerships in teams, organizations, and communities

Intervene supportively when young people’s rights and due respect are being denied by adults

Willing to share power with adults

Work to create an environment where adults feel safe enough to challenge one another and youth in a respectful way

Aware of how youth-adult partnerships can help me to grow and learn

Aware of ways to help adults understand the issues important to youth in our community

Know techniques for working in equitable partnerships with adults

Understand how “adultism” influences adult attitudes toward young people and know how to address it effectively

Know how youth-adult partnerships contribute to helping adults learn and grow and to achieving positive community transformation

HANDOUT 3 CONT.

SELF-ASSESMENT TOOL FOR YOUTH


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HANDOUT 4

SELF-ASSESMENT TOOL FOR ADULTS22

For each skill, attitude, behavior, and area of knowledge below, rate yourself on a scale of 1-5, 1 meaning that it is something you are new at and 5 meaning that it is something you do all the time and can teach others. In the first column, rate where you see yourself now in each area. In the second column, rate where you would like to be. When you have finished rating yourself, star two items that you consid-er to be strengths. Then choose two items you hope to learn more about and develop further during this workshop and circle them.

Where I am now:

Where I am now:



SKILLS

ATTITUDES

Communicate in a nonjudgmental manner

Listen carefully to young people and adults

Able to assess youth and adult needs, interests, and competencies

Can establish a positive learning environment for young people

Able to reflect on the effectiveness of my contribution to building and maintaining youth-adult partnerships

Affirm and validate young people’s feelings and ideas

Start by thinking, “What can this young person and I do together?” rather than, “How can I get this young person to do what I want?”

Articulate and maintain appropriate boundaries with youth

Actively and continuously seek to learn from young people

Build trust and openness in a group

Treat all group members (both youth and adult) with equal respect

Appreciate and incorporate the strength of commonalities and differences among youth and adults (gender, racial, cultural, ethnic, spiritual, class, economic, and sexual orientation)

Curb inclinations to take over

Respect the thinking of both young people and adults

Provide ongoing opportunities to reflect with youth and adults on mutual learning

Believe in the potential and power of all people, both youth and adults

Believe that I can make mistakes openly and without self-deprecation


Believe in the value of respectful dialogue between youth and adults

Believe that every community is filled with opportunities for youth-adult partnerships to contribute to well-being of the community

Do not expect more from a young person than I would from an adult

Do not excuse indiscretions just because I am dealing with a young person

Believe my role is as a partner, not parent or authority or expert


Reject efforts to scapegoat young people for today’s problems and see them as community assets rather than liabilities

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Where I am now:

Where I am now:



BEHAVIORS

KNOWLEDGE

Treat youth with the respect and dignity of an equal

Careful to not interrupt a young person

Engage with others, both youth and adults, in creating rules and guidelines that affect all of us

Work with youth and adults to create a sense of community where everyone feels trusted, respected, and empowered

Enjoy engaging in conversation with young people on issues that matter to them

Listen to youth more than talk at them

Engage with youth in helping to generate possibilities rather than simply choosing among predetermined options

Intervene supportively when a youth or an adult puts down or devalues another or self

Celebrate young people’s successes

Cultivate opportunities for young people to teach and to lead

Do not make one youth represent all youth

Establish team and organizational priorities and strategies that value youth-adult partnerships

Advocate for continual improvement of youth-adult partnerships in teams, organizations, and communities

Intervene supportively where young people’s rights and due respect are being denied by adults

Willing to share power with youth

Work to create an environment where youth feel safe enough to challenge each other and adults in a respectful way

Actively work to help youth develop their own autonomy

Aware of how youth-adult partnerships can help me to grow and learn

Aware of the current issues important to young people in our community

Know techniques for working in equitable partnerships with youth

Understand how “adultism” influences our attitude toward young people

Understand child development (physical, social, cognitive) and how this affects the types of partnerships

Realize that it is more effective for youth to construct their own personal beliefs from their own experience rather than blindly following the directions of others

Know how youth-adult partnerships contribute to helping young people learn and grow and to achieving positive community transformation

HANDOUT 4 CONT.

SELF-ASSESMENT TOOL FOR ADULTS


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Overview

In this activity, the participants explore the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to start, sustain, and advocate for youth-adult partnerships.


This activity can be used fairly early in a training program, but after fundamental concepts, such as the spectrum of attitudes, have been introduced.

Objectives

• to help the participants understand the knowledge and skills needed to start, sustain, and advocate for youth-adult partnerships

• to inspire confidence among the participants in their own knowledge and skills to start or develop youth-adult partnerships



Needed Materials• three flip-chart sheets • tape• three markers

Needed Preparation

Write the following questions on flip-chart paper, one per sheet:

• What are the skills / knowledge / attitudes needed to start a youth-adult partnership?

• What are the skills / knowledge / attitudes needed to sustain a youth-adult partnership?

• What are the skills / knowledge / attitudes needed to advocate for youth-adult partnerships?

ACTIVITY

SKILLS OF YOUTH-ADULT PARTNERSHIPS


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Activity Steps



2 Note that an enormous amount of skill, talent, experience, and insight comes from authentic partnerships between youth and adults. Refer the participants to the three questions you have posted on flip-chart paper. Read each question aloud.

3 Take a few moments to make sure everyone understands each of the questions. Consider asking the participants to share how the questions differ.

BRAINSTORM: 20 MINUTES

4 Direct the participants to form three teams, assigning each team one of the posted questions. Give each team the corresponding sheet of flip-chart paper and a marker and ask them to do a quick but thorough brainstorm to answer their assigned questions. They should write their thoughts on the sheet of flip-chart paper. Encourage them to consider drawings or other creative ways to document their results.

PRESENTATIONS: 10 MINUTES

5 Ask the team assigned to the first question (What are the skills / knowledge / attitudes needed to start a youth-adult partnership?) to come forward and present its brainstorming ideas. If the presentation does not include the following key points, make sure you share them with everyone:

A few conditions must be in place for any partnership effort to succeed:

• Adults need to be willing to share their power and responsibility.

• Young people need to be willing to gain power and take on responsibility.

• Both youth and adults need the skills to work successfully together.

• Everyone needs to forget everything they have ever thought about youth and adults as separate groups and start treating them the way they would treat their peers.

6 Ask the team assigned to the second question (What are the skills / knowledge / attitudes needed to sustain a youth-adult partnership?) to come forward and present its brainstorming ideas. If the presentation does not include the following key points, make sure you share them with everyone:

• Ensure that each adult and young person enters the partnership with a clear understanding of everyone’s roles and responsibilities.

• Be clear about the goals of the partnership and the roles that each person will play.

• Provide training. Effective partnerships do not throw youth or adults into situations for which they are not prepared.


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• Maintain high expectations for participating youth and adult and hold both account-able for their responsibilities.

• Include room for growth—next steps. Effective partnerships ensure that youth and the adults who work with youth have opportunities for advancement.

• Check in often with partnership members to ensure that they are taking on only as much as they can manage without neglecting other important aspects of their lives.

7 Ask the team assigned to the third question (What are the skills / knowledge / attitudes needed to advocate for youth-adult partnerships?) to come forward and present its brainstorm-ing ideas. If the presentation does not include the following ideas, be sure to share them with everyone:

• Create opportunities to form coalitions by sending group members to other organi-zations’ meetings.

• Host a networking event at your site. Invite all the community-based organizations to this event.

• Investigate outreach opportunities for your group. These opportunities can be on a local, national, or even international level. Create a newsletter for distribution in key locations (and to key people) in the community.

• Invite local media to a meeting or to do a story on the work of your partnership.

• Invite local politicians and community leaders to one of your meetings, or ask if you can offer a presentation on your work at a local council meeting.


8 Lead a large-group discussion using the following questions:

• What ideas stand out for you?

• What ideas are familiar?

• What ideas are new to you?

• What ideas are similar across the three stages?

• What is missing from our lists?

• How can these ideas help you to start a youth-adult partnership?

• How can these ideas help you sustain a youth-adult partnership?

• How can these ideas help you advocate for youth-adult partnership?


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9 Conclude by inviting the participants to take a few minutes of quiet time to make a note to themselves about something they will do differently based on this activity.



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ACTIVITY

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE RESEARCH?


Overview

In this activity, the participants determine the relevance of the research on youth-adult partnerships and community transformation for their own work.


You will want to review the research information provided in the introduction and found on pages 6-21.


This activity is best used fairly early in the training program on youth-adult partnerships. It should follow the activity “Understanding the Spectrum of Attitudes Toward Young People,” found on pages 33-37.

Objectives

• to provide the participants with an opportunity to learn about and reflect on what research says about youth-adult partnerships

• to assist the participants in connecting the research to the experiences of the youth and adult partners

• to help the participants begin to build the case for creating and supporting youth-adult partnerships in their community



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Needed Materials• flip-chart paper

• markers, one for each participant

• tape

Needed Preparation

Write 5-10 of the following statements on flip-chart paper, one statement per sheet:

• Partnerships enrich young people’s psychological development, building a sense of belonging, aiding identity development, and promoting caring relationships with adults.

• Partnerships provide opportunities for young people to learn skills in communica-tion, leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making—among other areas—and to prepare them to take on bigger responsibilities as adults.

• Adults working with youth as partners report that the relationship helped to refresh and re-energize their commitment to social justice and community transformation.

• Research shows that adults’ commitment to their organization increases when youth are involved as their partners.

• Involving youth in decision-making partnerships with adults can help organizations to raise money.

• Communities are transformed when they engage the full power and potential of the diversity and skills of all its members, including youth.

• Youth-adult partnerships result in collective leadership which can catalyze an inclusive and powerful community transformation.

• Youth-adult partnerships can create new opportunities to engage marginalized voices.

• Youth-adult partnerships, with their inherent penchant for trying new things, for innovation, and for collective leadership– and for challenging others to do the same—build community capacity to lead social, economic, and cultural change.

• Through youth-adult partnerships, civic agendas begin to better reflect the concerns, priorities, and voice of young people.

Post each flip-chart sheet on the walls around the training room, creating stations for small teams of participants to work at.

On another sheet of flip-chart paper, write the following bullet points, one per sheet, as a key for the activity:

• Place an asterisk (*) by something you have seen happen or have experienced yourself.

• Write these examples on the flip-chart paper.

• Place a slash (/) by those you have not seen happen or have not experienced.


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• Place a question mark (?) on the statements you do not understand. Write on the flip-chart paper any questions or thoughts that you may have.

• Assign a numeric value on a scale of 1-5 indicating how convincing this argument would be to get someone to start a partnership (1 being the least convincing, and 5 being the most convincing). Note: Rate the statement as a team.

Post these new sheets of flip-chart paper on the wall in the front of the training room.

Activity Steps




• Many organizations, such as World Vision, have clear reasons for supporting youth-adult partnerships—they see firsthand the benefits and embrace the underlying values and principles.

• Other organizations, community leaders, and stakeholders—even those working for community transformation for children and youth— are hesitant to engage in or support youth-adult partnerships even though they may sound like a nice idea. These groups wonder: Do these partnerships really work? Who benefits? How are they developed? What does the research say?

3 Tell the group that this is a brainstorming and reflection activity. The teams will be reacting to research statements about the impacts of youth-adult partnerships. The research is shared on the sheets of flip-chart paper posted around the room. Read aloud each of the statements you posted.

4 Divide the group into teams based on the number of statements posted. Be sure to include both youth and adults on each team. Assign each team to a statement station. Provide everyone with a marker.

ASSESS THE RESEARCH: 20 MINUTES

5 Tell the teams that they will be reacting to each of the research statements posted flip-chart around the room. Point out the flip-chart paper sheets at the front of the room and explain the symbols that the teams are to use for each statement station.

6 Tell the teams that they will have two minutes at each station. All members of each team should respond to the first three directives on the key (seen it, not seen it, or am confused). But the team as a whole should agree on a rating and provide only one response.

7 At the end of the two minutes, invite the teams to rotate to the next station and complete the tasks for the statement posted there. Continue this process until all the teams have visited each station.


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SHARE RESULTS: 10 MINUTES

8 Ask each team to select a reporter. Ask each reporter to read the statements at his or her station to the large group.


9 Lead a large-group discussion using the following questions:

• What are some words or phrases that stood out for you?

• What surprised you?

• Was it easier to think about things you have seen or experienced or easier to think about those you have not seen or experienced?

• Which statements were the most convincing?

• Which ones were the most confusing?

• What was one key lesson for you from this activity?

• What can the reflection and discussion here today tell you about working in youth-adult partnerships?

• How can you use these statements to support your work? To get others to support your work?

10 Conclude by noting that youth-adult partnerships can yield a variety of powerful and interconnected outcomes at the individual (youth and adult), organizational, and community level.



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ACTIVITY

BUSTING BARRIERS TO YOUTH-ADULT PARTNERSHIPS

Overview

Many of the barriers to youth-adult partnerships are somewhat hidden. They may be deeply rooted assumptions or practices—i.e., “We always do it this way”—that have never been challenged or questioned. This activity sheds light on these barriers and provides an opportunity for participants to tackle them.


This activity is best used once the participants have a basic understanding of youth-adult partnerships.

Objectives

• to help the participants identify potential barriers to establishing effective youth-adult partnerships

• to provide the participants with an opportunity to discuss possible ways to overcome potential barriers

• to foster within the participants a sense of possibility and power in thinking about building an effective youth-adult partnership




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Needed Materials • flip-chart paper• at least 10 markers• tape

Needed Preparation

Write the following questions on flip-chart paper, one per sheet:

• What is a youth-adult partnership?

• What behaviors have you experienced, or you have seen others experience, that would not be helpful in building effective youth-adult partnerships?

• What behaviors have you seen that would be helpful in building effective youth-adult partnerships?

• What blocks us from building partnerships with youth and / or adults where both can thrive and contribute?

• What can we do to ensure that barriers to building effective youth-adult partnerships are minimized or eliminated?

Post each sheet of flip-chart paper on the walls around the training room, creating stations for small teams to work at. (Be sure to have additional blank sheets of flip-chart paper ready for posting later if more writing room is needed at any of the stations.) Place a couple markers by each sheet.

Activity Steps




• If we can all agree on the benefits of having youth as full partners in the work that we do and in our communities, then what blocks us from achieving that goal?

• To help establish effective youth-adult partnerships, we must carefully consider the potential barriers that can undermine such partnerships and then begin to develop strategies to overcome these barriers.

• Failing to identify and anticipate potential barriers may lead to frustration and may undermine efforts to build or sustain effective youth-adult partnerships.

• Youth-adult partnerships are two-way relationships in which both youth and adults have the opportunity to learn, grow, and work together to achieve shared goals—in this case, the goal of community transformation.


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• Effective youth-adult partnerships require that both the young people and the adults share in the responsibility of developing and maintaining the partnership.

• In this activity, we will consider potential roadblocks that prevent us from developing effective youth-adult partnerships.

• Some barriers may be real, while other may be perceived, but both can trip us up. Thinking about and discussing these barriers can help us to avoid these pitfalls and develop ways to overcome these barriers if and when they arise.

3 Divide the group into five teams. Ensure that each team has a mix of youth and adults.

4 Direct each team to stand by one of flip-chart sheets posted around the room. Read aloud each of the five questions.

ROTATE AND BRAINSTORM: 15 MINUTES

5 Explain that each team will have two minutes to brainstorm answers to the question posted flip-chart at their station. They should record all of their answers even if everyone does not agree with all of them. Remind the teams that this is a brainstorming activity.

6 After two minutes, direct the teams to rotate to the next station. Continue rotation until all the teams have had the opportunity to answer each posted question.

REVIEW: 10 MINUTES

7 Invite all of the participants to walk around the room to review each station. Allow a couple minutes for them to read quietly, and then ask them to reassemble as a large group.


8 Process the activity by leading a large-group discussion using the following questions:

• What words or phrases caught your attention?

• What discussions did your group have as you rotated around the room?

• What gaps exist in the information you see?

• What new ideas did you see?

• What concerns do you have?

• How would you share the information presented in the activity to someone who is not here?

• What can you do over the next two weeks to begin to address a barrier?


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9 If the following points are not made during the discussion, be sure to share them:

• Power dynamics, usually rooted in cultural norms, may make it difficult for young people and adults to feel comfortable working together.

• Formal instruction in school often teaches young people to expect answers from adults, and youth may expect adults to ignore, deride, or veto their ideas.

• Adults frequently underestimate the knowledge and creativity of young people and may be accustomed to making decisions without input from youth, even when youth are directly affected by the decisions.

• Joint efforts toward solving problems can be difficult, requiring deliberate effort from both adults and youth.

• Cultural norms may prevent youth and adults from even realizing that they are biased.

• When anyone comes to see a formerly undifferentiated group as varying and diverse, that person is much more open to disbelieving and refuting negative stereotypes about the group and to valuing the individuals within the group.

• Anyone involved in a youth-adult partnership must recognize and dismantle significant barriers to working across age differences. If barriers remain in place, they will under-mine the best intentions and waylay even the best-laid plans.

10 Invite everyone to think through the last question in step 8. Allow a minute or two for quiet reflection. Invite a few participants to share their ideas for addressing a barrier.

11 Conclude by noting that a successful youth-adult partnership, like any type of partner-ship or relationship, is not created overnight. Youth-adult partnerships can be especially challeng-ing simply because they are not the traditional way in which we relate to each other. Working to overcome those barriers is key to moving forward in the development of effective partnerships.



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Overview

Issues of culture—such as societal messages, cultural definitions, and cultural beliefs—impact the effectiveness of youth-adult partnerships at many levels. The challenge is to understand and respect various cultural frameworks while striving to establish youth-adult partnerships that are effective and productive. In this activity, the participants explore cultural perspectives that may affect successful partnerships and then determine ways to support these partnerships by building on cultural tradition and / or respecting or gently challenging beliefs.


This activity should be done with youth and adults who have developed trust and have a strong and well-established working partnership. The facilitator should have experience working with diverse cultures and be skilled in guiding the conversation to avoid negative stereotyping or superficial analysis. This activity is particularly important when working with multicultural communities, such as in the U.S. or in any settings with diverse cultural traditions that may influence the perception of youth roles and the practice of building youth-adult partnerships.

Objectives

• to help the participants explore the relationship of diverse cultural traditions to the building and sustaining of youth-adult partnerships

• to increase the participants’ skills for developing strong youth-adult partnerships within a variety of cultural traditions

• to increase the participants’ appreciation for diversity within partnerships



Needed Materials• copies of handout 5, “Diversity Discussion Questions,” found on page 66, one for each participant• flip-chart paper• markers• pens or pencils, one for each participant• colored sticky notes, one pad for each team of four or five• tape

ACTIVITY

CULTURE AND YOUTH-ADULT PARTNERSHIPS


63

Activity Steps

SET THE CONTEXT: 5-10 MINUTES



• The notion of youth–adult partnerships can challenge many cultural traditions. For example, an old adage says that children should be seen and not heard.

• Some traditions uphold the idea that adults are wise and that the role of young people is to defer to adults and elders.

• The challenge is to understand strongly held cultural beliefs and to develop and support youth-adult partnerships that respect or gently challenge the beliefs that make partnerships difficult.

• For example, in some cultural traditions, dinnertime is frequently considered “special or sacred” (or perhaps on a certain day of the week dinner is when families gather). Such a tradition could conflict with community events. As another example, in some communities, the primary decision-maker in the household is the grandmother, and engaging her in supporting the partnership may be important. In other communities, parents may play this role.

3 Ask the participants to think of other examples from their own culture or background until you feel confident the group understands the purpose of the activity.

UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT CULTURAL CONTEXTS: 30 MINUTES

4 Divide the group into teams of four or five, including both youth and adults in each team and considering a diverse mixture of age, gender, race, and religions for each team. Explain that the teams will discuss a number of questions designed to help them understand their own and others’ cultural traditions as they relate to youth-adult partnerships.

5 Provide the teams with a copy of handout 5, “Diversity Discussion Questions” a sheet of flip-chart paper, a marker, pens or pencils, and a pad of sticky notes. Explain that the participants are welcome to use these supplies to visually represent what they are describing and discussing if helpful to them or their team members.

6 Review the questions on the handout. They are listed here for your reference:

• Begin by first identifying the various cultural groups or traditions represented within your team. Team members should each identify their own cultural heritage or traditions.

• Within the traditional family structure, what are the “special relationships” within each cultural group? These are influential relationships in the way youth and adults engage in the family and extended family. (For example, in the Maori culture of New Zealand, it may be the grandparent-grandchild relationship. In the white, middle-class culture in the United States, it might be the parents-child relationship.)

• Within the family structure, who is / are the primary leader(s) or decision maker(s)?


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• Within the community structure, who is / are the primary leader(s)?

• How are family structures evolving within your cultural tradition?

• How do people know they belong and to what do they belong?

• What is / are the role(s) (traditionally) of men? Of women? Of youth? How are these evolving? Where do young people play leadership roles in your community? (For example, first-generation immigrant youth may interact with public institutions, health-care systems, and so on, on behalf of their parents.)

7 Note that the participants may find some of the questions challenging. Encourage the participants to be descriptive and engage with curiosity, not judgment. Then tell the teams that the next step will be the large-group discussion. The teams should be prepared to share brief highlights of the relationships and roles they have discussed.


8 Invite each team to share a few examples of the relationships and roles they discussed.

9 Process the activity with the participants using the following questions. You will want to record the responses to the last two questions.

• Which questions were easy to answer?

• What questions were difficult to answer?

• What were the similarities and differences in cultures?

• How do these cultural traditions affect the way some people view youth-adult partnerships?

• How can cultural traditions affect family, community, or organizational support of youth-adult partnerships?

• How can we build and support youth-adult partnerships that are respectful of cultural traditions?

• How can we gently and appropriately challenge cultural traditions that may inhibit youth-adult partnerships?

• How will you use your new insights or understanding in strengthening the youth-adult partnerships that you are involved in?



CO

UR

TE

SY L

AU

RA

RE

INH

AR

DT

"when i get a chance to work with adults

in my community We learn from each

other and get feedback on our work. It

Feels good to know adults respect our

ideas and how they encourage us to

strive for what we believe in." —MARIA MOJICA (Dallas, TX), youth participant

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Begin by first identifying the various cultural groups or traditions represented within your team. Team members should each identify their own cultural heritage or traditions.

Within the traditional family structure, what are the “special relationships” within each cultural group? These are influential relationships in the way youth and adults engage in the family and extended family. (For example, in the Maori culture of New Zealand, it may be the grandparent-grandchild relationship. In the white, middle-class culture in the United States, it might be the parents-child relationship.)

Within the family structure, who is / are the primary leader(s) or decision maker(s)?

Within the community structure, who is / are the primary leader(s)?

How are family structures evolving within your cultural tradition?

How do people know they belong and to what do they belong?

What is / are the role(s) (traditionally) of men? Of women? Of youth? How are these evolving? Where do young people play leadership roles in your community? (For example, first-generation immigrant youth may interact with public institutions, healthcare systems, and so on, on behalf of their parents.)

HANDOUT 5

DIVERSITY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS


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Overview

The United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)23 is a framework that addresses human rights injustices that impact children and youth throughout the world. In this activity, the participants are introduced to the CRC and explore the ways in which these rights are a necessity in their own community.


This is an introductory activity to the articles from the CRC. If the participants are not familiar with the work of the United Nations or with the concept of international human rights, be sure to build basic understanding of these as part of the introduction to this activity.


The CRC is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights—civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights. In 1989, world leaders decided that children needed a special convention just for them because people under age 18 often need special care and protection that adults do not.

The leaders also wanted to make sure the world recognized that children have human rights too. The convention sets out these rights in 54 articles and two optional protocols. It spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere have: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse, and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural, and social life. The four core principles of the convention are nondiscrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival, and development; and respect for the views of the child. Every right spelled out in the convention is inherent to the human dignity and harmonious development of every child. The convention protects children’s rights by setting standards in healthcare; education; and legal, civil, and social services.

Survival and Development Rights

These are rights to the resources, skills, and contributions necessary for the survival and full development of the child. They include rights to adequate food, shelter, clean water, formal education, primary healthcare, leisure and recreation, cultural activities, and information about

ACTIVITY

PICTURING CHILD RIGHTS


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these rights. These rights require not only the existence of the means to fulfill them but also access to those means. Specific articles address the needs of child refugees, children with disabilities, and children of minority or indigenous groups.

Protection Rights

These rights include protection from all forms of child abuse, neglect, exploitation, and cruelty, including the right to special protection in times of war and protection from abuse in the criminal justice system.

Participation Rights

Children are entitled to freedom to express their opinions and to have a say in matters affecting their social, economic, religious, cultural, and political life. Participation rights include the right to express opinions and to be heard, the right to information, and freedom of association.

Engaging these rights as they mature helps children bring about the realization of all their rights and prepares them for an active role in society.24

Objectives

• to present the participants with the framework of the CRC

• to foster creative thinking and promote mutual learning among the participants

• to foster within the participants respect for diversity and an appreciation for others’ percep-tions

• to build understanding within the participants of how child rights are perceived and valued in their community



Needed Materials• flip-chart paper• markers, one for each team of four or five• tape• copies of resource 2, “Summary of Selected Articles from the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” found on page 73, one for each team of four or five


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Needed PreparationWrite each of the following articles/ rights of the CRC on flip-chart paper, one per sheet. Then post the sheets throughout the training room.

• Children have the right to say what they think should happen when adults are making decisions that affect them and to have their opinions taken into account.

• Children have the right to get and to share information, as long as the information is not damaging to them or to others.

• Children have the right to think and believe what they want and to practice their religion, as long as they are not stopping other people from enjoying their rights.

• Both parents share responsibility for bringing up their children and should always consider what is best for each child.

• Governments should ensure that children are properly cared for and protect them from violence and abuse and neglect by their parents or anyone else who looks after them.

• Children have the right to an education.

• Children should be protected from any activities that could harm their development.

• Governments should provide ways of protecting children from dangerous drugs.

• Children who are accused of breaking the law should receive legal help.

Using resource 2, “Summary of Selected Articles from the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” create slips or cards of each individual article / right, one set for each team of four or five.

Create one station for each team of four to five. At each station, post one blank sheet of flip-chart paper on the wall, and place several extra sheets of flip-chart paper and a marker on the floor.

Activity Steps



2 Introduce the activity by noting that it invites the participants to explore and understand the importance of the rights of children. Explain the objectives of this session and the importance of understanding the rights of children. Ask if anyone is familiar with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Do not assume that the participants have any prior knowledge of the CRC, human rights, or the United Nations. Then share the following points.

• The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a 1989 United Nations treaty that clearly outlines the rights of all children around the world. It is the most universally accepted human rights treaty in history.

• The CRC contains 54 articles, each specifying rights that are necessary to assure the well-being of children.


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• The CRC is based on four basic principles:

• Non-discrimination. All children have rights, and all children must be respected without discrimination.

• Best interests of the child. When decisions are made that affect the lives of chil-dren, it is important to think about what is best for the child.

• Right to survival, protection, and development. Governments should protect children from harm and help them to live and grow to be the best they can be.

• Participation. Children have the right to give their opinions in all matters that affect them and to have their voices heard. Their views should always be taken seriously, and they should have more say as they grow older.

3 Refer the participants to the articles / rights of the CRC that you have posted on the walls throughout the room. Then read each aloud.

4 Note that the CRC reflects a broad international consensus about human rights as they apply to children and young people. These articles / rights provide a framework that can be used to understand and take action against injustices that impact the well-being of children and young people in our own communities.

5 Divide the group into teams of four or five. Be sure each team includes both youth and adults.

6 Explain that the group will be playing a game similar to Pictionary™ using the articles / rights from the CRC. Each team will be given a slip of paper with the name and a description of a right found in the CRC. Each team must choose one member serve as the draw-er. The draw-er will draw images that depict the right noted on the slip of paper. The rest of the team members will work to guess which right it is. Each team will be drawing simultaneously. The first team to guess the right correctly scores a point. There will be several rounds, and everyone who wants to draw will get a chance do so, but no one will be forced to draw. At the end of the last round, the team with the most points wins!

If the entire group is smaller than eight participants, play as one team. Ask one person to draw in the first round and whoever guesses correctly will draw in the next round, and so on. Or in lieu of drawing, you can adapt this to be charades game. One participant will “act out” the right without speaking, while the other participants try to guess. The person acting can use gestures to encourage guesses.

TEAMWORK: PICTURE THE RIGHTS: 20 MINUTES

7 Send each team to one of the drawing stations you have created. Review the rules as follows:

• No conversation is allowed.

• The draw-er may only draw images—no words or numbers can be used.

• The draw-er can speak only when the correct answer is said. She or he can use gestures as in charades.


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• The team members can only guess. They may not ask questions.

• Have fun! This is not an art contest but a way to explore the concepts of this session.

8 Ask each team to designate its first draw-er. Then give each draw-er a slip of paper or card with the right posted on it. (Be sure you have all the sets of slips or cards stacked in the same order so that each team receives a slip or card with the same right on it.) They should not let other members of their team see it. Remind them that they are to draw pictures that depict the essence of the right, not every word on the slip.

9 Begin the first round. When one of the teams guesses the correct answer, award the team a point and end the round. (Keep a tally of each team’s points so you can determine a winner at the end of the all the rounds.) Then ask all the draw-ers to write the correct answer on their drawings.

10 Initiate a second round in the same fashion, inviting someone new from each team to draw. Continue in this manner until you have gone through all the slips or cards.

SHARE: 10 MINUTES

11 Invite each team to post all of its drawings on the wall to allow everyone to see the different interpretations of the different rights. Direct the teams to post drawings of the same right close to one another to facilitate reflection and comparison. Then allow the participants a few minutes to walk around the room to view the different drawings.


12 Initiate a large-group discussion using the following questions:

• What images stick in your mind from the activity?

• Was it easier or more difficult than you expected to depict child rights?

• What themes do you notice across the different drawings?

• What did you discover or learn about child rights through this activity?

• Why is it important to have a document that outlines fundamental child rights?

• Which of these rights are of the most concern in our community?

• How can we apply this knowledge about child rights to our work for community transformation?

13 Conclude by sharing the following key points:

• Every human being is created in the image of God and is given a mandate to participate in God’s creation.

• God confirmed the value of each of us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.


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• We do not have rights simply because we exist, but because God chose to give us value and, therefore, rights.

• Allowing people to be what God intended them to be is the Christian basis for respecting human rights.

• Respect for the rights of others is a duty to God.

• We are to treat all as if they belong to God.

• The Scriptures calls us to continually think of the rights of others.



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RESOURCE 2

Children have the right to say what they think should happen when adults are making decisions that affect them and to have their opinions taken into account.

Both parents share responsibility for bringing up their children and should always consider what is best for each child.

Children should be protected from any activities that could harm their development.

Children have the right to get and to share information, as long as the information is not damaging to them or to others.

Governments should ensure that children are properly cared for and protect them from violence and abuse and neglect by their parents or anyone else who looks after them.

Governments should provide ways of protecting children from dangerous drugs.

Children who are accused of breaking the law should receive legal help.

Children have the right to think and believe what they want and to practice their religion, as long as they are not stopping other people from enjoying their rights.

Children have the right to an education.


SUMMARY OF SELECTED ARTICLES FROM THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

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Overview

In this activity, the participants explore the meaning and relevance of the articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to the work of community transformation for the well-being of children and youth.


This activity should follow the previous activity “Picturing Child Rights,” found on pages 67-72. The activity moves the participants beyond learning about the concept of children’s human rights to a deeper exploration about the relative importance of these rights.

Objectives

• to deepen the participants’ knowledge of the articles of the CRC and of the broader concept of the human rights of children

• to inspire the participants towards taking action to resolve areas of concern regarding children’s human rights in their community


Group SizeAny size

Needed Materials• flip-chart paper• markers• tape• copies of resource 2, “Summary of Selected Articles from the Convention on the Rights of the

Child,” found on page 73, one for each group of three or four • envelopes, one for each team of three or four

ACTIVITY

CHILD RIGHTS IN FOCUS


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Needed Preparation

Write the following articles / rights of the CRC on flip-chart paper, one per sheet. Then post the sheets throughout the training room.

• Children have the right to say what they think should happen when adults are making decisions that affect them and to have their opinions taken into account.

• Children have the right to get and to share information, as long as the information is not damaging to them or to others.

• Children have the right to think and believe what they want and to practice their religion, as long as they are not stopping other people from enjoying their rights.

• Both parents share responsibility for bringing up their children and should always consider what is best for each child.

• Governments should ensure that children are properly cared for and protect them from violence and abuse and neglect by their parents or anyone else who looks after them.

• Children have the right to an education.

• Children should be protected from any activities that could harm their development.

• Governments should provide ways of protecting children from dangerous drugs.

• Children who are accused of breaking the law should receive legal help.

• Using resource 2, “Summary of Selected Articles from the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” create slips or cards of each individual article / right, one set of slips or cards for each team of three or four. Place each set in an envelope.

Activity Steps

PRESENT THE CRC: 10 MINUTES

1 If you held a previous training session, begin by reviewing the key themes. Invite the partici-pants to recall and share what they learned.


• As you know from our past session, we can understand the well-being of children and youth in our community through an internationally recognized framework of human rights as it applies to the rights of children and youth (under age 18).

• In this session, we will deepen our understanding of the rights protected through the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and link it to our own experience and to our work together to transform our communities to be places where children and youth can thrive.


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3 Review the CRC rights using the prepared flip-chart sheets . Invite the participants to share what they remember about each right from the previous activity. Then tell them that this activity will help them to examine the rights more closely through a priority-setting activity.

PRIORITIZE: 25-30 MINUTES

4 Divide the group into teams of three or four. Be sure the teams include both youth and adults.

5 Distribute to each team an envelope of the CRC rights. Explain that the task of each team is to discuss the relevance and importance of these rights in regard to their own lives. Allow a few minutes for discussion.

6 Next ask the teams to discuss which of these rights need the most attention in your community. Ask them to prioritize the rights in order of need, placing the slips or cards in order. They should place the rights that need the most attention at the top of the stack, the one that needs the next most attention underneath, and so on, until they have prioritized all the rights. Point out that there are is no correct ranking here. Different people have different experiences and therefore different priorities that need to be respected. Nonetheless, the teams should try to come to a consensus about the priority of the concerns in their community. Allow enough time for the teams to complete the task.

Alternative Approaches

Role-Plays or Short Stories: Place the statement slips or cards in a hat, and ask each team to draw one and to talk about it for one minute. Ask the teams to present a short role-play of an incident relating to their selected slip or card or to write a short story.

Role-Plays from the Media: Alternatively, the role-plays or stories could be based on events from the media—something heard or seen in a film or theatre, or read in a book or magazine. The role-plays can be developed so that the participants start with the incident and go on to improvise solutions or ways to prevent the incident from happening again.

SHARE: 10 MINUTES

7 Invite one person from each team to come forward and tape their slips or cards on the wall in the order the team ranked them and to present the results of their discussion.


8 Initiate a large-group discussion using the following questions:

• How did it feel to rank these? What was difficult? Easy?

• What were some of the different viewpoints expressed?

• Why do different people have different priorities?

• What did you learn as you began to listen to the perspectives of others?

• If your perspective changed as a result of listening to others, what contributed to the shift in your own thinking?


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• What did you learn about rights violations or concerns in our community?

• What are some of the challenges in our community that children and youth are facing?

• What is contributing to or causing these concerns?

• What can we do in our community both as individuals and as a group to protect children’s rights?

9 Capture the responses and ideas about what they can do as a group to protect children’s rights, especially those they ranked as top-priority areas for action and attention. Keep these notes for follow-up action planning sessions.

10 Invite each participant to think about one thing they can do as an individual for follow-up.

11 Share the following information:

• The CRC entered into force in 1990 with ratification and acceptance by 20 countries. Since then, 193 countries have accepted the CRC; unfortunately, the U.S. is not one of them.

• In the 21 years since the CRC’s entry into force, none of the 193 nations who accepted it have withdrawn, and judges in most countries—including members of the United States Supreme Court—have recognized the common standards it established as universal law.

• Implementation of the CRC has led governments to change and formulate laws, policies, and programs to meet the specific needs of children in their country.

• The CRC is an instrument that benefits all children regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, ability, culture, religion, and socioeconomic status. With U.S. endorsement of the CRC, the world would stand united in its universally shared goal to protect and promote children's best interests.


Follow-Up Options

Invite someone who is familiar with the CRC or human rights, such as an attorney, a representative from a child abuse helpline, a representative of an organization working to end school or domestic violence, or a healthcare worker who works with adolescents, to talk with the group about related issues and services in the community. Before the talk, have the group brainstorm additional concerns with children’s human rights locally (e.g., neglect, bullying, domestic violence, child abuse, sexual exploitation, educational inequities, or police profiling). You may draw from the participants’ responses in step 8. Find out from the speaker who in the local community is responsible for dealing with the issue (e.g., the schools, the police, parents, social service agencies) and get advice on what the group can do to respond to these violations—both to stop individual cases and to address the concern as a community.


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Review school management, policies, and curriculum to see how well a local school meets its duties and responsibilities in relation to the rights expressed through the CRC. For example, do the students at this school have the opportunity to inform school policies and to express views freely on matters affecting them? Are the students’ views given due weight? Is school discipline administered in a manner that respects a child’s or young person’s dignity? How does the school deal with bullying or other forms of violence? Do young people have access to health information and services? The youth and adults should discuss where there is room for improvement and what actions could be taken.


jaldred

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