The Power and Promise of Youth Engagement

The United States is rapidly changing. The population continues to grow and is becoming increasingly more diverse. There are new technologies and evolving economies. There are greater disparities among economic levels and gaps in opportunities for youth, especially for at-risk youth are glaring. Research shows that youth engagement is a powerful tool to foster positive youth development and has beneficial outcomes at both the individual and community levels. Youth engagement is the result when young people are involved in responsible, challenging actions to create positive social change. It is imperative that youth have multiple opportunities for learning in and beyond the classroom and that they are involved in planning and making decisions that affect themselves and others. ? This Spotlight of Youth will examine approaches to youth engagement such as youth-adult partnerships, building youth voice into organizations and community efforts, creating meaningful out of school learning programs, and the role of social entrepreneurship. Guests will also discuss programs that are effectively using youth engagement, such as Brotherhood, Inc., that seeks to assist and empower young African American males who are or are at-risk of being involved in gangs or the criminal justice system.? ?Guests: ?Nekima Levy-Pounds, Associate Professor of Law, Director, Community Justice Project, University of St. Thomas School of Law? Marcus Pope, Director of Strategic Initiatives & Outreach, Youthprise ?Alexandria Rice, Lead Youth Engagement Specialist, Youthprise

Youth