Keys to Engaging Specific Youth Populations

Maranda Collins, Aaron Tucker, Elizabeth Tharman, Jessie Parker

TASK Eastern Region Board

Objectives

• Establish the importance of diversity in youth tobacco prevention groups

• Identify groups and sources for youth recruitment

• Identify strategies for motivating and retaining specific youth populations

Importance of Diversity in Youth Tobacco Prevention Groups

Importance of Diversity in Youth Tobacco Prevention Groups

• If a coalition is supposed to represent a community, it needs to look like a community.– In order to maximize the impact of young people

engaged, it is important to ensure that participants represent the diversity of their community.• www.servicelearning.org

Groups and Sources for Specific Populations Youth Recruitment

• Upward Bound – Program that identifies promising high school students and assists them with the transition to college.

• Educational Talent Search – Program that encourages middle school, high school, and high school dropouts to continue their education.

Groups and Sources for Specific Populations Youth Recruitment

• Upward Bound– Barton County Community College

245 NE 30th RoadGreat Bend, Kansas 67350(620) 786-1172colemana@bartonccc.edu

– Cowley County Community College 125 South 2nd

PO Box 1147Arkansas City, Kansas 67005

(800) 593-2222 ext.5386shepard@cowley.edu

Groups and Sources for Specific Populations Youth Recruitment

• Upward Bound– Emporia State University

1200 CommercialCampus Box 4001Emporia, Kansas 66801(816) 233-4050 benjamit@emporia.edu

– Garden City Community College 801 Campus DriveGarden City, Kansas 67846(620) 276-0406frankey.schmidt@gcccks.edu

Groups and Sources for Specific Populations Youth Recruitment

• Upward Bound– Haskell Indian Nations University

155 Indian AvenueLawrence, Kansas 66046(888) 935-3130 (toll free)hinuubbruce@yahoo.com

– Independence Community CollegeBrookside Drive & College Avenue PO Box 708Independence, Kansas 67301(800) 842-6063 ext. 5452drose@indycc.edu

Groups and Sources for Specific Populations Youth Recruitment

• Upward Bound– Neosho County Community College

800 West 14th StreetChanute, Kansas 66720(620) 431-2820 Ext 504mncollins@neosho.edu

– University of Kansas 305 JR Pearson Hall1122 W. Campus RoadLawrence, Kansas 66045(785) 864-3415zslappy@ku.edu

Groups and Sources for Specific Populations Youth Recruitment

• Upward Bound– Wichita State University

1845 FairmountCampus Box 94

Wichita, Kansas 67260-0094(316) 978-3019upward.boundwp@wichita.edu

Groups and Sources for Specific Populations Youth Recruitment

• Educational Talent Search– Cowley County Community College

125 South 2nd

PO Box 1147Arkansas City, Kansas 67005(800) 593-2222 ext. 5387otoole@cowley.edu

– Dodge City Community College 2501 North 14th AvenueDodge City, Kansas 67801(800) 367-3222, ext. 406rganley@dc3.edu

Groups and Sources for Specific Populations Youth Recruitment

• Educational Talent Search– Emporia State University

1200 Commercial Campus Box 4005Emporia, Kansas 66801(620) 341-6230lstephe2@emporia.edu

– Garden City Community College 801 Campus Drive

Garden City, Kansas 67846(620) 276-9515Deborah.berkley@gcccks.edu

Groups and Sources for Specific Populations Youth Recruitment

• Educational Talent Search– Labette Community College

200 South 14th StreetParsons, Kansas 67357(620) 421-4008

– Neosho County Community College800 West 14th StreetChanute, Kansas 66720(620) 431-2820 Ext 271mmoore@neosho.edu

Groups and Sources for Specific Populations Youth Recruitment

• Educational Talent Search– University of Kansas

Gateway Tower II Suite 103400 State AvenueKansas City, Kansas 66101(913) 342-9823 dukstein@ku.edu

– Wichita State University1845 Fairmount, Box 96Wichita, Kansas 67260-0096115-A South 18th Suite 204Parsons, KS 67357(316) 978-3127

Strategies for Motivating and Retaining Specific Youth Populations• Programs that are established by adults are

not always appealing to youth. The key to success is to include youth, giving them the freedom to express their own concerns and address their own issues. This will result in activities and services more appropriate to their needs.

Things to keep in mind…

• Are there barriers in your community that prevent youth from becoming involved? How can they be overcome?

• Can government and community organizations work together in your area to address the needs of youth and help them to participate in a meaningful way?

• How can meetings between adults and youth be made more appealing to young people?

Tips for Adults Working with Youth• Don't – Treat us like children. – Assume we can’t make good decisions because of our age. – Stereotype youth.– Blame all youth for the actions of one individual youth.– Think we can’t contribute to our community because we

don’t have as much experience as adults. – Determine your opinions of us by our hairstyle or clothes

we wear. – Single teens out who belong to minority groups.

• Youth Changing the World

Tips for Adults Working with Youth• Don't – Try to cover for us when we mess up. – Separate us into groups (adult group vs. teen). – Take over our projects. – Tell us it can’t be done. – Tell us what our goals are. – Try to protect us. – Don’t do it for us. – Refer to us as “children”, “youngsters” or “kids”.

• Youth Changing the World

Tips for Adults Working with Youth• Do– Talk to us like adults. – Remember if we are a part of the problem, we must

be part of solution. – Ask us what we think. Only youth know what other

youth want and need. – Listen to our ideas and respect our opinions. – Treat us as equals. – Just like adults, we learn from our mistakes. Be

patient and help us learn from our mistakes. • Youth Changing the World

Tips for Adults Working with Youth

• Do– Involve us in the decision-making that affects our

lives.– Listen—really listen to us and be willing to learn

from us.– Provide us with information and training we need

to succeed.– Schedule to accommodate school hours. Provide

rides to meetings, if necessary.– Plan meetings so that everyone feels welcome.

Tips for Adults Working with Youth• Do– Put us into groups with adults so that we learn to

work together. – Let us take the lead on our projects. Be there to

support, encourage, and guide. – Offer your insights and suggestions. – Hold us accountable to our commitments. – Be honest with your opinions, it’s OK to disagree. – Give us the tools we need to do it for ourselves. – Call us “youth”, “young people”, “young adults”, or

“teens”. • Youth Changing the World

Tips for Youth Working with Adults

• Do– Speak up!– Invite adults to share their skills, experiences, and

resources.– Commit time and energy to do the work.– Take responsibility seriously.– Seek to involve other youth.

Tips for Youth Working with Adults

• Don’t – Stereotype adults.– Assume all adults will treat you like “you’re just a

kid.”

Tips to Engage a Diverse Groupof Youth

• Regularly assess strengths and weaknesses in the area of diversity, and make efforts to improve them by attending trainings, reading about cultural issues, becoming more involved in the broader community, etc.

• Ask questions about cultural needs as well as how to help build or strengthen diversity

• Recognize how bonding with your own group may exclude or be perceived as excluding others

• Take interest in the ideas of people who don’t think the same as you, and respect their opinions when you disagree

• Recognize we are products of our backgrounds, but our way is not the only way

Tips to Engage a Diverse Groupof Youth

• Be aware of prejudices and consciously try to control assumptions about people

• Try to help others understand your differences• Work to make sure that people who are different than

you are heard and respected• Share power and accountability• Model desired behaviors• Know your own assets, liabilities, and biases• Identify and advocate for diversity– 2000 National Service Leadership Institute training on

Building Cultural Consciousness

Designing Opportunities and Projects that Appeal to Today’s Youth.

• We are much more globally aware than previous generations. We are interested in significant volunteer work that is directly connected to the mission or the cause.

• We like collective action. We enjoy working collaboratively with all ages, but we also like to be treated as equals in the group.

• We prefer activities we can get our arms around and be involved in the entire project. We will bring additional resources to the project if we feel fully engaged.

• The web offers us an “at your fingertips” reference and referral service. Programs need to be present on the Internet to attract and retain today’s youth. – Merrill Associates

Marketing and Recruiting Strategies for Youth Volunteers

• Frame opportunities & issues as relevant to youth. • Promote diversity in all forms. Visuals should reflect

diversity of dress, age, gender, sexual orientation and ethnic background.

• Offer pertinent experiences & concrete skills. Consider what we need to include on a college or scholarship application or employment application.

• Use language like fast, fun, innovative. Speak about an environment that encourages contributions and involvement. – Merrill Associates

Marketing and Recruiting Strategies for Youth Volunteers

• Have visuals that attract youth. • Invite input in the development of the project

– advisory groups. • Provide leadership roles - team & project

leaders. • Have competitions/games. • Feature pictures of young people.– Merrill Associates

Management Strategies for Youth Volunteers

• Accommodate different levels of knowledge and sophistication – have instruction, models or mentors when needed.

• Include us on orientation and training team. Give them a role in both developing and presenting orientation and training. Encourage them to share their examples and perspectives.

• Develop work teams. • Place us with adults who respect, facilitate,

encourage and model. – Merrill Associates

Management Strategies for Youth Volunteers

• Train youth team leaders. • Respect our ideas, suggestions and advice. Do more than

listen, find ways to implement and support their ideas and approaches.

• Create an environment that encourages us to be fully engaged in the mission of the program.

• Create an overall supportive and inviting organization. • If you value our contributions, it will be reflected in the

work you assign us, the ways you communicate with us and the expectation you have for us. We will know if you are saying one thing and doing something else and nothing turns us off more than hypocrisy and incongruence.– Merrill Associates

Recognition Strategies for Youth Volunteers

• A little pizza never hurts! • Immediate. We tend to be impatient. Don’t wait for an annual recognition

event. Give recognition frequently and consistently. • Be personal – recognize our individual achievements and contributions.

Be certain they receive individualized recognition. • Recognition is a perfect place to interject some fun. Volunteering doesn’t

have to always be serious work. Find innovative fun ways to say thank you and lighten up the environment.

• Send letters to parents and schools. • Provide letters of documentation for us so we can include them with

scholarship and college applications. • Send articles for school papers or to company newsletters where parents

work. • Nominate for community and civic awards.

– Merrill Associates

Good Luck!