to understand what we mean by ‘youth involvement’ to realise that it’s simpler than you think!...

YIPEE!Cambridgeshire Scouts

Youth Involvement Project!

Presented by Jake Stephens

(County Youth Captain - Comms)

• To understand what we mean by ‘Youth Involvement’• To realise that it’s simpler than you think!• To take further steps towards achieving Vision 2018


Aims

• Youth involvement is about asking young people what they think.

• It’s about giving young people a say in how we run part of the worlds largest voluntary organisation.

• It’s about making the best use possible of scoutings’ most valuable and widespread resource… its young people!


What is Youth Involvement?

You may be surprised to learn that…

At the World Scout Conference in 2002, the majority of the delegates considered Youth Involvement to be the No.1 strategic priority

and…

…who famously said “Ask the boy”?(Lord Baden Powell)


What is Youth Involvement?


Who do we class as Young People?

The UN (United Nations) agencies describes young people as being between the ages of

10 and 26 inclusively.

In Scouting, we class Young People as, all Youth Members from our youngest members in Beavers,

right through to our older members in Network.

The UN states: ‘parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters

affecting the child.’

This is enshrined in the international UN convention on the rights of the child: Article 12:1


What the UN says…

Under a title ‘A Youth Movement’ in the Autumn 2011 edition of the Scout Impact Report it stated the following:

‘We want more young people to be directly involved in leading scouting’

… it went on to elaborate this aim more…


What the Scout Association Says…

‘We need to do more to directly involve our 11 to 25 year olds in the movement. One of the main ways we’ll do this is by supporting

and training adult volunteers to get young people involved in running scouting locally.’

‘We want to see a culture of youth involvement across the Movement.’


What the Scout Association says… …cont.

So what is it that the Scout Association means by…

…‘A culture of Youth Involvement’?

They want us to include more Young People, in more of our decision making.

…“Simples”


A culture of Youth Involvement?

Scouting exists to…

…actively engage and support young people in their personal development…

…empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.


Why ask? (for young people)

The Scout Association’s vision for 2018 stated…

“Scouting in 2018 will be: Shaped by young people in partnership with adults.”


Why ask?...


Making it a Reality…

National Level

County Level

District Level

Group Level

‘I don’t have time for youth Involvement’

‘Young people aren’t interested, they just want to come and have a good time’

‘Scouts isn’t a classroom!’

‘It takes a lot of knowledge and organizing’

‘I’ve been running a successful section for years…’


Group/Sectional Level: Reasons against?

…but, it’s simpler than you think!

Beavers: Asking them what they enjoy/circle time/use games/hands up voteCubs: Asking them what they enjoy/would like to do.

Can use games/activities/hands up voteScouts: Mini forums/games/activities/electionsExplorers:Group forums/activities/electionsNetwork: Members of Network on the District Exec.

Elections/group forums


Group/Sectional Level?

The ‘Cool Wall’ (New Style)

A large piece of paper stuck up somewhere in the hall. Throughout the evening young people are asked to write up meetings and activities they have enjoyed over the past scouting month/term.

The leader can then go through this with the young people and other leaders. They could also think about a ‘Wall of uncool’.


Group/Sectional Level: Ex.1

Five/two minute brainstorm (Old Style)

The young people (Cubs/Scouts/Explorers) are spit into small groups. The leader shouts a short, simple discussion topic - e.g. “Our duty to god”. The young people have either two or five minute slots in which to discuss the topic, before the leader announces a different one.

This can be music led to make it slightly more exciting/different.



Grill (Gryll) The Leader

Scouts/Explorers are split into smaller groups. A number of Scouters unknown to the group are invited in. They rotate around the groups, discussing their role and what they do.This works best if young people know in advance who is coming, and have prepared questions to ask and suggestions or ideas to put forward.

Be adventurous… MP?



1. Post it Note Rush2. Pass the Parcel Discussion Special3. Scout Leaders Question Time4. ‘Gryll’ the Leader5. The Cool Wall6. The Wall of Uncool7. The Ladder of Participation8. What do YOU enjoy – ball game9. Circle Time10.Five-minute brainstorm11. Group Forum12. A brief Questionnaire


Group/Sectional Level

Pass the Parcel: Discussion SpecialRemember Pass the Parcel?

When the music stops…

1. Unwrap2. Read3. Discuss4. Eat


Example!

The DY4UM : District Youth Forum


District Level

What is a DY4UM?

• It’s a little bit like a school council, but for Scouts. It’s just bigger, more influential and draws on a wider variety of young people over a larger distance.

• It meets anywhere in your District, three times a year.

• It’s there to give young people a voice.

• It consists of elected representatives from Scouts, Explorers and Network from every Group in your District.


District Level

DY4UM

Leaders

DC


Relationships: The wheels in motion!

Why introduce a DY4UM in your District?


Why?


Benefits of DY4UM…

• A good environment to discuss District events, past and present.

• Help to develop leadership potential in the young people involved.

• A new and more effective line of communication between young people, their Leaders and District leadership teams.

The DY4UM provides:• A clear line of communication

between: County, District and Group.• The perfect place for general

discussion and debate on any scouting issue.

• To opportunity to empower and engage your young people.

• An excellent way to gather feedback. • Good encouragement for inter-group

links.

In Cambridgeshire we aim to see EVERY DISTRICT running an active and effective DY4UM by the end of 2014.

As a team, we are dedicated to and prepared to support you as much as we can, to ensure we all work together to achieve the 2018 Vision goal of becoming a youth

led organisation ‘shaped by young people in partnership with adults’.


Can you take the steps to success… …towards

2018?

• You now have an understanding of the Youth Involvement Project.• You now know that it is actually pretty “simples”.• You can now all return to your Groups/Districts and think more about Youth

Involvement and the 2018 Vision of scouting.

‘Scouting in 2018 will be: Shaped by young people in partnership with adults.’


Round up…

Thanks for your time.

Now, let’s make

Youth Involvement happen.


Thanks…

to understand what we mean by ‘youth involvement’ to realise that it’s simpler than you think!...

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