Youth Engagement and Contribution

Youth Engagement and Contribution

Program promotes youth engagement through youth expression, youth involvement in community service, and/or by creating opportunities for youth decision-making and leadership at the program, community, or national level.

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NOT YET DEVELOPED (1)	BEGINNING (2)	DEVELOPING (3)	COMPETENT (4)	SCORING
*2.A.1 Youth of all social and identity groups are actively engaged in program decision-making.
The program does not provide opportunities for youth to make choices about program activities.	The program provides opportunities for youth to participate in decision making regarding operations (time, place).	The program provides opportunities for youth to participate in decision making regarding activity content within a set of choices.	Youth and staff work together to determine program offerings (content, how it will be implemented, and place/time) and intentionally include all social and identity groups in these discussions.	Score: ___________
Examples: Activities youth engage in (like trainings or outdoor activities) are decided by the staff with no previous discussions with the youth.	Examples: Staff give a few options to youth on possible times for program activities and ask them their preferences.	Examples: Staff give a few options to youth on how they can engage in program activities (e.g., lead an activity, topics for the activity) and ask them their preferences.	Examples: Youth and adults brainstorm and select activities together or a group of youth leaders selects all activities or Youth develop the list of possibilities for program activities within a framework. /ul>	Evidence:
*2.A.2 Youth are provided opportunities for leadership.
The program does not provide opportunities for youth to identify, initiate, or lead activities.	The program provides opportunities for youth to lead specific parts of an activity.	The program provides opportunities for youth to lead a full activity within the program setting.	The program provides opportunities for youth to initiate, design, implement and lead activities in and out of the program as well as growing levels of responsibility and autonomy in the program.	Score: ___________
Examples: Staff provides answers when youth struggle instead of providing tips to help them solve a problem on their own.	Examples: Program staff ask youth to choose a group leader during teamwork, to lead a game.	Examples: Program staff offers opportunities for youth to lead activities that were designed by staff (e.g., program staff decide to have an event and ask youth to lead planning and implementation).	Examples: Youth brainstorm and select activities they want to create, implement, and fully lead, such as new clubs, community service opportunities, new programs.	Evidence:
*2.A.3 The program provides youth opportunities to engage in their program and/or community
The program does not provide opportunities for youth to engage with their program and/or community.	The program provides occasional, and irregular opportunities for youth to engage within their program or community. Opportunities are not part of the regularly planned program.	The program provides consistent opportunities for youth to engage with their community throughout the life cycle of the project.	The program provides consistent opportunities for all youth, including marginalized youth, to engage with their community throughout the life cycle of the project and deepen their knowledge and understanding of the underlying issues and take actions to address the underlying issue.	Score: ___________
Examples: Program does not provide youth with opportunities to engage in service learning, volunteering, community performances, neighborhood events, or governance meetings.	Examples: Staff decide to have youth participate in a one-time activity such as build a playground for a local school or clean up a park; at the end of the program, youth do a one-time performance/presentation for the community. Sometimes, staff suggest that youth volunteer in the community, but it happens on an irregular basis.	Examples: Staff provide monthly community service opportunities for youth at different locations. Staff creates peer mentorship or tutoring to allow youth to contribute within program setting.	Examples: Youth identify a problem in their communities and decide together what community projects to do to tackle the problem. Program provides youth with opportunity to learn about the problem and are supported if they want to take actions beyond community service such as carrying out a campaign, or developing solutions or recommendations to address the problem. The program proactively encourages youth to engage in the program and community in ways that may have not be previously acceptable/expected of them based on gender or social norms.	Evidence:

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