New Directions: Evolutions in Youth Participation Blogs

Image by Sophie Gue on Unsplash

The role of young people as independent actors in their own right, able to define and become architects of their future has changed over the years. In thinking this through, we look back and reflect on how the concept of youth participation has evolved since the student led protest movements of the 1960s. Much has changed. In a series of 5 short blogs Jez Hall looks at emerging democratic trends and innovations.

The blogs were written for the PB Youth Accelerator project, in which SFCIC are collaborating. They first appeared on the Youth PB website in March and April 2021. The first blog in the series introduces the topic, considers the role played by family and school, the two foundational institutions in the lives of young people, and reflects on different models of learning.

1: New directions: Evolutions in youth participation

The second blog looks at how youth work has evolved, with a growing emphasis on power and agency.

2: New directions: Informal Education and Youth Work

In the third blog in the series the focus moves to young people taking action themselves, such as in the school strikes for climate.

3: New Directions: Democracy, a dangerous tool in the hands of young people?

The fourth blog looks at how democracy, problem solving approaches and youth empowerment has crossed over.

4: New Directions: Innovative models of youth empowerment

The final blog in the series we draw the conversation back to the core topic of accelerating youth participation through participatory budgeting.

5: New Directions: Accelerating youth participation through participatory budgeting