Training Institutes 2012 - National Technical Assistance Center for ...

TARGETED INSTITUTES
TARGETED INSTITUTE #12 9:30 AM SUNDAY • OSCEOLA 5-6
Creating Effective Youth-Adult Partnerships
OBJECTIVES—Participants will learn:
1. To examine the strategies for youth-adult partnerships used by successful youth groups and organizations
2. To develop strategies for creating effective youth-adult partnerships in participants’ own communities
3. To describe the different roles youth and adults can play and where they overlap
4. To identify common pitfalls in youth-adult partnerships and develop strategies on how to avoid and/or overcome them
This Targeted Institute is designed to help youth and their adult supports learn what effective youth groups do in their
communities. The session is designed for both youth and adults interested in improving their partnerships to create
successful youth organizations.
Many youth groups or organizations struggle with being youth-driven and youth-guided while still being managed by
supportive adult organizations. As such, clear strategies and guidelines must be established to ensure healthy
partnerships and smooth functioning. Faculty will discuss the different roles youth and adults take in running and
maintaining successful youth groups and how to avoid issues that can create difficulties.
The strategies to be highlighted are based on the experiences of youth and young adults who are also experienced in
running and maintaining youth group organizations.
Specific topics to be covered include:
• Examples of successful youth organizations across the country and the national, state, and local levels
• The key areas that successful groups focus on including recreation, social marketing, leadership development, and
community advocacy
• The different roles youth and adults take in areas such as money management, messaging, and advocacy
• Where overlaps occur, what pitfalls may arise, and strategies on how to avoid them
Participants will have the opportunity to break out into small work groups to use the information to analyze youth
organizations in their states or communities, examine youth-adult partnership, and develop ideas for can improving their
partnerships to achieve the shared goal of creating successful youth organizations. Participants will also participate in an
exercise designed to help people understand the different roles of youth and adult partners and how each role is important.
The faculty team for the session will offer the perspectives of foster care alumni and professionals engaged in youth
advocacy work.
MODERATOR/PRESENTER: Eric Lulow, Youth Involvement Associate, Youth Involvement, National Federation of
Families for Children’s Mental Health, Rockville, MD
Lacy Kendrick, M.S., Executive Director, Youth Engagement Solutions, LLC, Hattiesburg, MS
104 Training Institutes 2012