New Tool Kits: Youth Development, Civic Activism, and Reflection

Posted by on July 1, 2005

[posted from CBO Service-Learning listserv]

NEW TOOLS HELP ORGANIZATIONS WORK WITH YOUTH

Two user-friendly tool kits help community organizations work with young people and conduct successful evaluations of community-change work. Developed by the Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development, the tool kits are REFLECT AND IMPROVE: A TOOL KIT FOR ENGAGING YOUTH AND ADULTS AS PARTNERS IN PROGRAM EVALUATION an LEARNING AND LEADING: A TOOL KIT FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND CIVIC ACTIVISM. They build on the Innovation Center’s experience working with local groups to involve youth, build community and strengthen organizations.

Rather than viewing evaluation as a necessary evil done only to pacify funders, the Innovation Center turns the table, defining evaluation as an essential tool for every vibrant, growing organization. REFLECT AND IMPROVE provides tips and activities to help youth and adults at community organizations to use evaluation to strengthen programs, communicate with funders, boards and stakeholders, and identify opportunities.

Based on research demonstrating how civic activism programs can engage often hard-to-reach young people as leaders, LEARNING AND LEADING guides organizations to start and sustain programs that build youth leadership and civic engagement. This facilitator’s handbook helps engage young people as they develop their leadership abilities on three levels: personal, organizational and community. It distills best practices, adaptable activities, and guided reflection from community organizations across the country.

For more information and to view excerpts, visit the Innovation Center’s website at http://www.theinnovationcenter.org.

The Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development connects thinkers and leaders of all ages to develop fresh ideas, forge new partnerships, and design strategies that engage young people and their communities.