1. Youth-Adult Partnerships
and Community Organizations
“The goal is not simply to ‘bring youth to the table’ around contemporary
issues, but equally important, to create a culture of participation that
values and provides structure for partnership in the future”.
- Zeldin, Petrokubi, & MacNeil (2007)

2. Presentation Contents
• What is a youth-adult partnership?
• What do youth-adult partnerships look like?
• What functions can youth-adult partnerships
serve?
• What are some of the impacts youth-adult
partnerships?
• What are some preventive and facilitating factors
of youth-adult partnerships?
• Creating the organizational culture
• Tools for success

3. What is a Youth-Adult Partnership?

4. A partnership in which youth and adults work
collaboratively bringing their skills and
perspectives to work towards community action.

5. What do youth-adult partnerships
look like?

6. Compatibility Commitment
among to the
Clear set of
members partnership
roles and Awareness
responsibilities of differing
for each styles
member
Combination
of youth Mutual
perspectives teaching
and skills, and and learning
adult wisdom Youth-Adult
and experience
Partnership
Training and
Characteristics skill
Democratic development
processes
and power-
sharing Recognition
of adult and
youth
Mutual values
decision- Awareness of
Opportunities making other
for growth
obligations

7. What functions can youth-adult
partnerships serve?

8. Training and
Outreach
Governance and Organizing and
Policymaking Activism
Youth-Adult
Partnership
Functions
Research and Communication
Evaluation and Media
Service and
Philanthropy

9. What are the impacts of youth-adult
partnerships at varying levels?

10. Impact of Youth-Adult Partnerships
Impacts on Youth Development
•Safety and Belonging
•Efficacy and Empowerment
•Sociopolitical Awareness and Civic Competence
•Community Connections
Impacts on Adult Staff Development
•Confidence and Competence
•Generativity
Impacts on Community Leaders
•Reflect on Negative Stereotypes
•Advocates for Youth Participation
Impacts on Institutions
•Institutionalized Expectations of Youth Participation
•Civic Agendas Reflect Youth Voice
•New Community Coalitions Emerge
•Responsive Public Institutions

11. Preventive and facilitating factors of
youth-adult partnerships…

12. Barriers to Youth-Adult Partnerships
• Adult perspectives on youth (spectrum of
attitudes)
– Many adults believe that young people should be seen
and not heard and/or that young people don’t have
the capabilities to be active citizens in society
(adultism)
– Many adults struggle in sharing power and authority
with young people

13. Spectrum of Attitudes
Youth as Youth as Youth as Youth as Youth as Youth as Youth as
Threats Problems Commodities Recipients Resources Citizens Agents of
Change
Youth as objects Youth as recipients Youth as partners
of service
“Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your
words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they
become habit. Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
-Lao Tzu

14. Barriers cont’d
• Lack of resources for youth to participate in these
partnerships
– Transportation to meetings
– Youth availability (usually after-school hours)
• Adults’ capacity to work with youth
– May require training and skill development
• Lack of time
– Youth-adult partnerships require an iterative process
that includes critical dialogue, reflection and action

15. Be nonjudgmental
Integrate youth in group and coalition efforts
Take advantage of the expertise youth offer
Treat young people as individuals, don’t generalize
Be honest about expectations
Be aware of competencies and capacities of each individual
Tips for Adults Working with Youth
Make the work interactive and fun Don’t make assumptions
Take time to get to know the youth
Treat young people with respect Make sure youth participate in meaningful ways
Don’t make assumptions Invest in preparation
Be aware of differences in personality styles

16. Creating Youth-Friendly Environments
High-end youth
Action
participation
Promote the youth-adult partnership goal of program or
community improvement
Intentionally transfer skills as a youth participation
strategy
Foster an internal youth program structure
Assess attitudes and determine roles
Establish reciprocity of partnership
Low-end youth Ideology
participation

17. Youth-Adult
Partnerships:
A Learning Process
(click text above)

18. Facilitating Factors in Youth-Adult
Partnerships for Community Change
Core set of shared values
Partnership = priority Emphasis on
public action
Partnership structure Encourages collaboration
which delineates with community
roles, responsibilities, organizations and
processes and policies community leaders

19. Emphasis on Community Action
• Youth-adult partnerships allow youth mobilizers
to work in partnership with community leaders in
raising critical awareness on issues in the
community
• Youth activities as a result of these partnerships
include:
– Testimonials
– Community workshops
– Presentations to public decision-making bodies
– Organizing rallies
– Participation in public hearings
– Community forums

20. Creating the conditions for youth-adult
partnerships & setting the
organizational culture…

21. Assess readiness and
capacity for working
in partnership with
Be proactive youth, act Gain clarity and
and plan for accordingly consensus on the
transitions purpose of the
partnership
Balance
structures and Mobilize and
relationships Creating the coordinate a diverse
Conditions for range of stakeholders
Strategically Youth-Adult Create favorable
allocate resources
(i.e. human, time
Partnerships narratives about youth-
and funding) adult partnerships
Institutionalize Construct theories
new roles for Affirmatively and stories of
youth address issues of organizational
power change

22. Organizational Culture: Values
• Establish the partnership as a core priority
• Youth and adults learn from one another
• Address issues of trust, power and authority
• Safe space for open dialogue and problem solving
• Organizational goals are in the “lived experience” of youth
• Adults validate youth culture and encourage creativity and
self-expression
• Programs foster collaboration, not competition

23. Organizational Culture:
Partnership Structures
• Youth have multiple options for participation and
opportunities to take on more responsibility as they gain
experience and skills
• There is clarity in the roles and expectations, as established
by policy or position description
• Youth and adults receive coaching and ongoing feedback
• Established strategies for youth recruitment and retention
• Organizational resources are allocated to promote quality
partnerships
• Adult and youth have opportunities for reflection

24. Organizational Culture: Public Action
• The action addresses issues of high priority in the community
• Youth and adults are strategic in their methods of articulating
the issue and creating collaborative relationships with other
community members
• The action is organized to facilitate intergenerational dialogue
and collaboration
• The action places youth in key community roles to ensure the
youth voice is being heard
• The work occurs over time; patience is a virtue
• The work models youth-adult partnerships to the larger
community
• Organizations continue to monitor successes to ensure
sustainability

25. How will youth be involved in our organization?
What do we need to do as an organization to make this
partnership effective?
What is the purpose of the youth-adult partnership in our
organization?
How can we set up a structure for this partnership to be
effective and sustainable?
Questions to consider when creating
an organizational culture that values
youth-adult partnerships…
How can we involve a diverse range of stakeholders to
support these partnerships?
How can we involve youth in decision-making processes
without adult staff members feeling threatened?
How can partnering with youth improve our organization?

26. Tools that may be helpful in
building youth-adult partnerships…

27. Tools for Building Youth-Adult
Partnerships
The Innovation Center for Community &Youth
Development: Tools and Activities (link)
Making it Work: A Guide to Successful Youth-
Adult Partnerships (link)
Building Partnerships for Youth: Program
Assessment Tool (link)

28. References
Camino, L., & Zeldin, S. (2002). Making the transition to community youth
development: Emerging roles and competencies for youth-serving organizations
and youth workers. In T. Burke, S. P. Curnan, J. Erickson, D. M. Hughes, N. Leon, R.
Liem et al. (eds.), Community youth development anthology. Sudbury, MA:
Institute for Just Communities, Brandeis University.
Camino, L. (2005). Pitfalls and promising practices of youth–adult partnerships: An
evaluator's reflections. Journal of Community Psychology. Vol. 33, pp. 75-85.
Klindera, K. & Menderwald, J. (2001). Youth involvement in prevention programming.
Advocates for Youth. Retrieved 4/28/2012, 2012, from
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/532?task=view.
Marx, M.; Finger, W.; & Mahler, H. (2005). Youth Participation Guide: Assessment,
Planning, and Implementation. Family Health International.
Olagundoye, S. S., & Lawler, M.J. (2012). Building Effective Program Strategies for
Youth-Adult Partnerships: Reflections and Guidance on Promising Practices.
Relational Child and Youth Care Practice. Vol. 24, No. 4.
Zeldin, S., Petrokubi, J., Camino, L. (2008). Youth-Adult Partnerships in Public Action:
Principles, Organizational Culture & Outcomes. The Forum for Youth Investment.
Zeldin, S., Petrokubi, J., MacNeil, C. (2007). Youth-Adult Partnerships in Community
Decision Making: What Does it Take to Engage Adults in the Practice?