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Publication #FAR1214

 

Involving Youth in the Community Development Process1

Rosemary Barnett and Mark Brennan2

Figure 1. 
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As communities face challenges and opportunities to help serve their residents, they're often faced with a lack of resources, including volunteers. However, many parents are discovering that their children may not only want to volunteer, but many teenagers are required to volunteer if they're pursuing a future in college.

Youth represent a vast and often untapped resource for immediate and long-term community development efforts. They have energy, enthusiasm, time, and both creative and intellectual talent. As youth are brought into and connected with organizations and civic roles that they have traditionally been excluded from, they can participate in active and equal decision-making at multiple levels. Tapping youth resources benefits the community, too—community development is enhanced when local people, both young and old, work together to address local needs.

There are many ways to assist youth in becoming leaders and active participants within their community. For example, connecting with adults as mentors and guides will enable them to build the leadership skills that will help them as they become adults. In order to engage youth, adults must understand and respect youth culture, get youth involved at all levels of the organization, and respect their valuable contributions. As youth become more involved in positive relationships with adults, other youth, and community organizations, they'll learn that they are valued citizens in their communities. They'll develop their skills and confidence, all important steps in preparing for adulthood.

Listening, learning, and living together: it's the science of life. "Family Album" is a co-production of University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, and of WUFT-FM. If you'd like to learn more, please visit our website at http://www.familyalbumradio.org.

To listen to the radio broadcast:

http://www.radiosource.net/radio_stories/505.mp3

http://www.radiosource.net/radio_stories/505.wav

References

Barnett, R. V., and Brennan, M. A. (2006). Involving youth in the community development process (FCS9253). Gainesville, FL: Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Retrieved February 13, 3007 from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FY846.

Barnett, R. V., and Brennan, M. A. (in press). Integrating youth into community development: Implications for policy planning and program evaluation. Journal of Youth Development.

Brennan, M. A., Barnett, R., and Lesmeister, M. (in press). Enhancing leadership, local capacity, and youth involvement in the community development process: Findings from a survey of Florida youth. Journal of the Community Development Society.

Sherrod, L. R., Flanagan, C., and Youniss, J. (2002). Dimensions of citizenship and opportunities for youth development: the what, why, when, where and who of citizenship development. Applied Developmental Science, 6, 4, 264-272.

Footnotes

1.

This document is FAR1214, one of a series of the Family Youth and Community Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Broadcast as program 505. Created January 2007. Published on EDIS July 2012. In the interest of time and/or clarity, the broadcast version of this script may have been modified. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Rosemary Barnett, professor, and Mark Brennan, assistant professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.