Frustrations in youth engagement in planning process

[dandy_warhol]

We are currently working on an update to our comprehensive plan. We are including extensive community outreach with targeted outreach to minorities, seniors, and young people. Trying to work with the local school district has been very frustrating, though not for lack of trying. There appears to be a disconnect (imagine that) between the administration and the teachers. The administration has been very supportive of our interest and efforts, however when it comes down to the day-to-day we are having a lot of trouble finding any champions in the classrooms. The answer we frequently receive is that the teachers are too busy/stressed/focused on teaching to the tests to include anything outside of the test related curriculum. There are teachers in my family so I can sympathize with these teachers but I find it very discouraging (and frankly sad) to think about what our youth are missing out on.

I've done the research and found best practices for youth engagement in other communities and would love to implement some of them here so that the youth are truly engaged. Unfortunately, I haven't yet found the champions to help me do anything more than a youth survey (designed by adults) and a 40 - min SWOT analysis with the young people.

[Cardinal]

What about working with the Boy/Girl Scouts, 4-H, YMCA or other organizations instead? I have found them to be very willing to participate.

[wahday]

I agree with Cardinal. Community centers, where many kids go after school, along with libraries, are other potential venues. We also have a challenging time getting info into the schools in my town. Things need to be vetted and approved, then sent to some central repository, then who knows, somehow it "supposedly" gets to the individual schools and distributed to students. But engaging directly with a specific teacher to have them pitch the idea can be next to impossible. School administration is a formidable gatekeeper...

[ColoGI]

I agree that schools aren't the best use of resources at this time. Daughter is a Girl Scout and they often have folks come to talk.

[darnoldy]

Many high schools require students to undertake a service-learning project (done outside of class) each year. I don't know what your timeline is like, or how your local schools handle this--but participating on a comp plan committee would generally fit the parameters for such a project.

--don