It’s Okay to Celebrate
Within the organization, Division of Extension, 4-H and Community Youth Development share one house, the Institute of Positive Youth Development. When we, as staff, ‘walk out the door” of that house we seek to serve youth and the adults that serve youth. Sometimes those adults are youth workers and sometimes they are volunteers. When I began my position, I joined a subcommittee with the purpose of supporting colleagues support volunteers and youth workers. It is one of my favorite committees because of the energy that always exists when people can direct their own conversations around a topic based on their experiences and needs.
And yet, since fall when we began to plan sessions again in that committee we have been concerned with that very energy that so many appreciated. We knew it existed. We heard tale of it like so many stories perfect for lengthening, almost winter nights. But, where was it? Who was maintaining the ‘spark’ of that fire so much the goal of our work in positive youth development.
“Well, I know this one volunteer,” someone began.
“I worked with a group of youth,” another offered.
And there it was, the few and far between were enough to believe that the ember was still lit, and we could fan that flame. I was fortunate enough to interview two young women who had worked in a variety of ways throughout the altered reality of this pandemic. They continue to participate in diverse projects run by a local AODA youth leadership organization.
Here are the questions we asked:
- What is something you’re proud of in how you’re working with youth during the pandemic?
- What has motivated you to adapt and lead programming with youth during the pandemic?
- How do you encourage positivity and participation during this pandemic?
- What tips/suggestions do you have to connect with, engage, encourage or support youth during challenging times?
I had not supported these young women, nor their adult leadership, extensively. Still, that short interview was the best 10 minutes of my day. When our volunteer support team came back together, my assessment was, “It was my own wellness moment. Everyone should do it!”
That is exactly what we recommended that everyone should do. We watched the videos of course, but I absolutely believe that the power is not the watching but the interviewing itself. In lieu of a traditional resource list this month, I decided to find as many inspiring examples of youth leadership as I could. I began with quotes from the videos I referred to above and then added some online joy.
More than that I suggest that everyone give themselves the gift of celebrating the youth leadership in their lives. Spend fifteen minutes at your kitchen table, in the check out line or with youth with whom you work. Even in December 2020, when most things don’t seem okay, it’s still okay to celebrate!
Resources
What is something you’re proud of in how you’re working with youth during the pandemic?
“I am really proud of all the ideas that we’ve come up with.”
“The challenge we faced during quarantine time. . . and we took it upon ourselves to make a virtual open house. . . It’s been great to find new ideas, to find new ways to present stuff but also I’m really proud of how we’ve come together to put on something bigger than ourselves and something we can promote out to the public to sort of show off what 4-H is all about. What we’re so proud about, something that we’ve worked on so hard and had to jump through challenges.”
“I think I’m really proud of how we can see who is the most dedicated to what we’re trying to do and not just backing up even during a pandemic but putting in the hard work. We can see who is truly passionate about what we’re doing.”
“It also helps us as human beings that we can even go through whatever is happening in the world, even with COVID and everything, we can always push through with any challenges that we’re facing right now which will really help us during the future.”
What has motivated you to adapt and lead programming with youth during the pandemic?
“Usually we have our regular open house each fall. . . We had to reinvent the wheel, and doing that was our motivation to go forward and tell people about our organization. . . I know that people are really looking for things to get involved in. . . Especially seeing the deficit in being able to do stuff, and stuff they love. . . It’s really impactful to give them an insight into something they can try.”
“I truly want to see change so future generations don’t have to live in the world we’re living now. I think it’s important for things to improve and not stay the same, or get worse.”
“Knowing that I can be a part of something even bigger than what everything is happening right now. It’s cool to see little kids when we go and do presentations for little kids. It’s cool to see how they actually do listen to us and I do believe that if ‘oh if I listen to them’ I can help be a part of this in a small way. It’s also inspiring to see how we can help others even in a small way, it’s really encouraging.”
https://www.insider.com/10-teens-to-rule-the-2020s-decade-2019-12
https://www.seventeen.com/life/a29716000/2019-voices-of-the-year/
https://www.bgcmilwaukee.org/our-impact/character-leadership/youth-of-the-year/
