3 Elements of Effective Youth-Adult Partnerships
I remember walking into my first board meeting at America’s Promise at the age of 18. My heart was thumping in my chest, my palms were sweaty, and my voice was shaky. I was newly elected to the board as a youth representative and the Executive Director of the country’s first youth-led Community of Promise in Pittsburgh, PA. The whole board meeting experience was intimidating, from the expansive conference table and mic set-up to the security that ushered other members of the board into the room. But I was honored to be there. The meeting was called to order and my confidence level shrank with each report presented. I felt as though I was “a fish out of water” and had nothing of value to contribute to the team. I listened intensely to every word spoken, soaking everything in and forming dozens of ideas in my head that I was too nervous to share out loud. That changed when former PA Senator Harris Wofford and former SVP of Community Mobilization at America’s Promise Carolyn Berkowitz invited me to coffee after a board meeting. We sat in a small café drafting community organizing strategies on the back of placemats and napkins. Harris and Carolyn reminded me that my voice and experience mattered, and that I was not only representing myself but youth and Communities of Promise all across the country. It suddenly clicked for me. That unique perspective was the value that I brought to the board. Their confidence in me as my adult partners strengthened my motivation to speak up and gave me the courage to respectfully disagree at times. It taught me what I refer to today as the three elements of effective youth-adult partnerships.
The 3 Elements of Effective Youth-Adult Partnerships
#1: Mindset
Youth and adults come to their relationships with unique experiences and perspectives, shaped by the values that they live by, the opportunities that they have seized, and what they have been taught. When they can practice empathy by placing themselves in each other’s shoes, they can adopt the mindset that helps build the foundation for an effective and sustainable partnership. Using what I refer to as the Iceberg Theory, I remind youth and adults that what we see on the surface with one another is only a very small fraction of who we are. When we intentionally seek to understand and actively listen to each other by staying grounded in facts and avoiding assumptions, we uncover the depth of character below the surface. By acknowledging that everyone, regardless of age or background, has something to learn and something to teach, we approach youth-adult partnerships with an open mindset and mutual respect.
#2: Action
At the onset of youth-adult partnerships, it is critical that we meet each other where we are. For example, along a continuum of engagement, if a young person or an adult has historically been disengaged from their community, a natural first step for engagement would be to join a friend at a volunteer project versus independently planning their own service project. The concept of gradual engagement is similar to the process of building trust in a partnership. It takes time, a commitment to each other, and a willingness to be transparent and reflective in regards to what each person needs in the partnership. Through action, we discover more about ourselves and each other, we broaden our perspectives on the world around us, and we expand the possibilities for our future by continuously challenging each other to learn and grow.
#3: Results
Sharing decision making and power is not easy. It requires trust and an openness to diverse ideas and actions. Through trial and error, we learn what does and does not work in youth-adult partnerships. The key to sustaining and continuously strengthening our partnerships to achieve our desired results is reflection. By pausing and evaluating what we were able to accomplish, how we accomplished it, and the dynamic we shared throughout the process, we focus in on our strengths and successes while addressing the obstacles that held us back. Our commitment to both giving and receiving feedback builds our awareness of our strengths and our blind spots. When we facilitate reflection with an open mind and assume the positive intent of our partners, we can accelerate and sustain our youth-adult partnerships for the long-term. (Listen to Dan’s webinar he recently facilitated for MANY: Leveraging Youth-Adult Partnerships to Strengthen Communities.) For more information on D.G. Horgan Group, check out www.dghorgangroup.com.
