I am from Ireland and currently seeking to develop an initiative to harness the creativity of 18 to 29 year olds in my community. I am living in a county called Galway based in the West of Ireland. Galway has twice the number of 20-24 year olds living in its community compared to that of the national average. I have conducted two surveys within my community the results of the first survey indicated that there are not sufficient outlets and opportunities for creativity and in particular not sufficient outlets/opportunities for the younger people in our community. The second survey was issued to younger people who confirmed that there is not sufficient creative opportunities for them but that they have an appetite to become involved in an outlet/forum/initiative in their community. I went on to host a focus group with a small number of young people who advised that they would be very interested in contributing their views and time to supporting the development of initiatives which would help better their community and in turn provide them with the opportunity to engage with others of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, ethnic groups etc. One of the long term goals as specified by our local Galway county council in their "Everybody Matters: A Cultural Sustainability Strategy Framework for Galway 2016-2025" is to progress and develop a vibrant, sustainable and strengthened local community. I am currently seeking ideas on how to move forward with such an initiative by harnessing the current resource and input of our younger population. One option I had in mind was something similar to Open Source Development where our younger generation would contribute and submit their ideas or donate their time to collaborate on a local issue identified within their community or even that of a local enterprise who may be seeking suggestions to improve product/business development. Members of the focus group indicated that they would like a mix of online and physical onsite collaborations. This initiative is based on creativity so would have to incorporate a substantial element which allows for fun, various modes of engagement and a platform for diverse collaboration. I would be grateful if you had any ideas or relevant resources in relation to progressing such an initiative. I am in the process of developing a website also in relation having at least one platform from which to launch this initiative. I would be very grateful for any guidance or advice you may have. Many thanks for taking the time to read my question. Best regards, Patricia
Dear Patricia,
Thanks for your request for resources about how to collaborate with and meaningfully engage youth in community-based initiatives! It is great that you have already engaged with youth in Galway in such a thoughtful and comprehensive manner to identify their needs and interests. Your idea to engage in an iterative, collaborative process to address key issues in the community or the needs of local organizations is also excellent. In terms of how to initiate and implement such a process, you might find the approach of folks engaged in Youth Participatory Action Research (yPAR) to be of help in determining possibilities for how you might engage youth in collaborative, creative, and community-based initiatives. In particular, the book "Revolutionizing Education: Youth Participatory Action Research in Motion" (edited by Michelle Fine and Julio Cammarota) includes several excellent examples of creative youth-led and youth-driven projects. Specifically, the chapters in this book detail the logistics of engaging youth in meaningful and creative community-based projects that center their voices, experiences, and interests, so it seems that this could be a helpful resource for you to explore. Similarly, the Public Science Project (http://publicscienceproject.org/) has several examples of creative youth-led projects that could be helpful to explore further as you think about engaging in this work in Galway. Additionally, you may find the following sections of the Community Toolbox to be helpful resources as you plan to engage in this work with youth:
- Chapter 7. Encouraging Involvement in Community Work (https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/participation/encouraging-involvement)
- Chapter 22. Youth Mentoring Programs (https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/implement/youth-mentoring) [although you aren't suggesting starting a youth mentoring program, there may be some helpful material in this section of the Community Toolbox]
- Chapter 29. The Arts and Community Building (https://ctb.ku.edu/en/community-tool-box-toc/cultural-competence-spirituality-and-arts-and-community-building/chapter-29) [Forthcoming; hopefully this will be updated soon!]
We hope the above resources provide a helpful foundation for you as you prepare to engage in this work with youth in Galway, but please feel free to follow up if you have any more questions!