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City Platform Section II, Step 4:
"Enlist youth to map local resources and needs, and support other youth-led service activities that tap the potential of young people as community assets."
Youth master planning is a process in which the community brings together various constituencies - including young people, the school district, the city, parents, businesses, and others - to gather information that can help clarify community priorities and needed action steps. Research shows that young people who engage in leadership and service activities are more likely to do well in school, graduate and vote, and less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and engage in other destructive behavior.
City Examples
Thousand Oaks, Calif.
After a year of study and discussion by youth leaders, young people and adults in Thousand Oaks began working together on a youth mapping project in 2000, culminating in the publication of a youth master plan in July 2002.
The youth-led visioning and research activities have allowed the participants to learn what young people in the city really wanted and needed, and to set goals around meeting those needs. For example, many felt disconnected from the city and did not feel like there were youth opportunities, although these opportunities did in fact exist.
As a result of the mapping project, the youth commission and mapping partners have created a Publicity Source kit for youth to use to spread the word about events around the city. They are also creating a youth website for the city to facilitate fast and easy access to information on volunteer and other opportunities.
Learn More » (**Note: This is a large pdf file and will take several minutes to download.)
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Spokane, Wash.
In the spring of 2002, the Spokane Youth commission embarked on a youth mapping project. The youth commission identified two neighborhoods - one within the city and another in the surrounding county - as "youth empowerment zones."
As part of a Youth Empowerment project, students from a local high school were charged with mapping resources for youth within the targeted city neighborhood. High school students conducted 260 phone interviews and surveyed 300 high school freshmen to better understand how teens are served by the community.
Among the key findings from the survey: only 17 percent of youth felt supported in their neighborhoods; and 63 percent said they did not feel safe in their neighborhoods. The students developed several recommendations for the community based on their findings, including new ideas for afterschool programming and mentoring opportunities.
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Resources
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