Community/Youth Development: Exploring The Nexus Through Youth Leadership In Community Planning
Jonathan London (Youth in Focus)
It is a deceptively simple formula: “youth contributing to communities ↔ communities supporting youth.” The mutual and inter-generational interdependence is appealing: so why is this vision a dream, largely deferred if not outright denied, in most communities? Why has the realization that youth and community development are inextricably linked – that youth are essential partners in community building, and that community building can provide developmental opportunities for youth – not been enough to make linking the two common practice? We contend that what is needed to move this realization into reality are concrete models of practice in which youth can play leadership roles in addressing community issues, and communities can learn to align themselves to better support their youth. While some excellent models of practice do exist, Youth In Focus seeks to contribute a method of Youth-led Research, Evaluation, and Planning (Youth REP) as a unique and powerful resource for those seeking to link community and youth development. Youth In Focus is a non-profit intermediary training organization that supports youth to apply their knowledge to improving the institutions and communities that affect their lives. We argue that Youth REP offers an approach that can contribute to the fulfillment of all of these principles. Youth In Focus has implemented a number of projects with a community/youth development emphasis. Now, we seek to deepen our practice by enhancing our curriculum with new participatory planning and design training methods – developed to guide urban and rural youth of color, immigrant youth, and other under-represented youth as they apply their knowledge to revisioning and revitalizing their communities. This paper will introduce Youth In Focus’ Youth REP pedagogical model, present one case study (a youth-led neighborhood assessment to guide redevelopment approaches in the South of Market in San Francisco), and explore a series of questions relating to the further development of a community/ youth development training method.