How do you mobilize a community
into action? Recently I spoke with Maija Yasui in Hood
River County, Oregon. In the past 10 years, their countywide youth initiative has
energized each one of the small communities in their county. A network of existing local
coalitions agreed to come together around youth leadership as a way to combat underage
drinking, dropping out and substance abuse. The county Children and Families Commission
that oversees the network helps to provide training resources and capacity-building
support to the community coalitions
Volunteer work days to do projects for local communities and
non-profits were held to engage kids in their community and develop a positive image for
youth. As the community got to know the kids and relationships and trust were built,
internships opened up in businesses, agencies and churches. The interns received coaching
on how to act on the job, developed job skills and work experience. In one year, the drop
out rate went from 11 percent to one percent and has held at that number for six years.
Where the teen was the first high school graduate in the family, a special dinner
celebration for the family was provided.
Young people were trained in how to assess the needs of their
community and how to measure the effects of the changes they made. They were trained in
how to survey people to determine what the community wanted. They also learned how to
identify human and material assets, as well as relationships that existed in their
communities as potential ingredients to making their project goals happen. They learned
about philanthropy – (charitable aid or donations.) They learned how to raise money
and how to select projects to fund. They were also taught how to write and budget grant
applications for worthy projects, and how to implement and manage the grant when they got
it. (They were able to raise a whole lot of money.)
Leadership and service to the community were taught at the High
Schools. Kids learned skills such as how to run a meeting; leadership styles;
communication skills; working in groups; conflict management; action planning and working
with volunteers. For instance, Hood River High School offered eight periods of leadership
training and made it a point to move leaders from every group into the program.
A program called Youth Voice taught teens how to lay out facts to
support the policy changes they wanted. They learned how to advocate for youth led
initiatives and even testified in front of the state legislature on issues such as child
abuse and drinking laws.
After a decade, the approach is now matured and is becoming a part of
the local culture. Now that youth is leadership trained and experienced, many non-profit
boards, district boards and even city councils include full voting youth members, equal
with adult members.
Along the way, relationships between agencies, non-profits, faith
communities and youth were forged. Everyone
benefited from the leadership, fundraising, grant writing and other training provided.
There were collaborations on various projects at all levels. An investment of $40,000 for
staff was leveraged into $2.5 million in services. Five youth centers were built in
communities with the fundraising assistance of churches that donated their funds raised to
the communities. One center emphasizes music with a stage and sound system. Another
community has a sports focus. Another renovated an older building with volunteer work,
providing basketball, tutoring services and a computer center.
In the community of Odell, (population 1,800,) youth-led townhall meetings with 167 attendees
identified 5 things the people wanted. They are now finishing up their new plaza with a
gazebo, farmers market and picnic grounds.
What is your community doing to develop its future leaders? |
