The Center for Civic Participation
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When they are not spending time with their coalitions, youth interviewees report playing sports, hanging out with friends, and going to the mall. By contrast, there were very few mentions of anything related to the arts (e.g., only one mentioned playing an instrument—guitar). There is little mention of participation of other organizations in the community other than those affiliated with the schools. When asked about how to improve their community, the youth were inclined to list problems rather than discuss solutions. Gangs (12), violence (8), and graffiti (5) were the most commonly cited issues, but few respondents gave specific suggestions on how to address these issues in the short time that we had together. In general, interviewees seemed to be advocating for spaces where youth can feel more connected to one another as a deterrent to violence. Youth suggest more “programs,” “activities,” “things for youth to do,” and “ways for young people to get to know one another.” Several youth mentioned a desire for a teen center where youth can socialize with friends and “get to know other kids.” Youth had a difficult time with our question about whether the coalition can make a difference in their community. Those who did answer are generally optimistic. When asked how their coalition is addressing the community concerns, responses varied from role modeling (“setting example for other/younger kids by working in the coalition”) to holding art festivals. A number of youth said getting more youth involved would be helpful in order to make an impact on the issues. Observed patterns and tensions REACH has created group settings in which youth have exercised a wide range of roles and ongoing leadership responsibilities. These include helping plan and facilitate coalition meetings, leading energizers at meetings, making public presentations, providing input on decisions, or attending public meetings or events on behalf of the coalition. The norm of listening to youth voice has been imparted to coordinators and they are endeavoring to respect this norm in their actions. In interviews, coordinators credit the training and instruction of foundation-provided technical assistance with changing their attitudes and improving their skills. It is not surprising that many youth express appreciation for REACH as a place where they can speak up, by contrast to what they often experience in school or other settings. In many cases youth have been involved in the hiring of new site coordinators, although there is mixed evidence about how seriously their input was taken and in all cases the final decisions rested with the lead fiscal agency. 34 Often, youth participation at full coalition meetings is limited and it is rare to see an instance of substantive and meaningful youth input, especially in settings where adults constitute the majority of those present. An exception occurred when youth in one coalition stood up to adults and outvoted them on an issue regarding meeting times. This coalition has a rule that balances the number of youth and adults at any coalition meeting. This kind of balance in numbers contributes to a greater chance of meaningful youth participation, although numbers alone are not sufficient. Though it may be happening unobserved, we have seen relatively few examples of adults actively seeking out youth for their knowledge and perspectives nor instances in which adults support youth to develop and articulate their insights. Some occasions where youth are asked to speak or give reports at coalition meetings appear to be heavily scripted. Arguably, some forms of this type of coaching are appropriate, while others come off as more tokenistic. Many coalitions use stipends as an incentive or compensation for youth participation. We hear a variety of perspectives on the pros and cons of this approach. Some adults we interviewed have questions about the wisdom of this approach, feeling it may send the wrong message if the goal is to teach youth about the value of community service or civic engagement on its own terms. On the other hand, youth who need to earn money have noted the importance of the stipends both as a source of revenue and justification of their time investment to their families. The rules surrounding who is eligible for stipends and under what conditions have been the subject of ongoing negotiation. For example, one coalition revised the “pay for participation” rules to ensure that only youth that commit themselves to the group and actively participate over time get paid. Although site coordinators and other lead agency staff have the most contact with REACH youth overall, many different adults interact with youth during REACH-related events, meetings, and activities. Some of the most meaningful adult support provided to youth through the initiative has come from adult volunteers who offer rides and befriend young people (including youth from single parent homes where it is difficult for the parent to support their involvement) and adult associates who have worked closely and in genuine collaboration with youth to achieve a particular goal (e.g. Woodland mural project). We observe a wide variation in the skill with which different adults work with youth to develop their voice and exercise their leadership. In many instances youth are given prominent roles or opportunities to speak and listened to with courtesy and respect. But we also observe some cases in which adult coalition members interact with youth in ways that take control of planning sessions and projects, mute youth voices, or incorporate youth voice but in a tokenistic fashion. In some cases adults have acted insensitively to the cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds of coalition youth and their families. Without intending to, adults can demonstrate a lack of respect for the youth they are trying to 35 nurture and support. Get people registered –Many times people will be inspired to vote come election time, but if they haven’t registered in time, it won’t matter. If you are not registered in time, you cannot vote. • Get people educated – a functioning democracy depends on voters making educated choices at the polls. Also, if people don’t feel educated about the candidates, the issues, or the process, they’re less likely to vote at all. • Get people to the polls – most people are juggling lots of priorities that demand their time. In particular, students’ schedules may make voting seem difficult, schools don’t often excuse students from class for voting, and the issue of absentee voting (for students who attend a school not in their home state/area) can be confusing. Getting people to the polls can be the most difficult part. Local election officials will help you obtain voter registration forms, understand deadlines and procedures, and stay informed about the latest legislation. Plan for a long-term relationship and communicate with your election office early and often, stressing the assistance the Coalition can provide to educate citizens on their responsibilities as voters. Usually your Secretary of State’s office can help you make contact with the correct local county or city election officers.2 Youth Vote experience shows that election officials often hold misconceptions about election procedures, which they may pass along to poll workers. Election officials and poll workers need new training every time there is a change in election law. Because these changes may be frequent, election officials may confuse the new and old procedures. Discovering these problems on Election Day is too late. Work with your election officials early to ensure that all Election Day procedures are understood and to guard against misunderstandings that may be illegal-particularly regarding identification, language requirements, or access for disabled voters.3 Ask questions about anything you yourself don’t understand.4 Other Coalition Partners Other natural partners include community organizations that are already working to mobilize young voters. But these are not the only partners needed to make a Youth Vote Coalition successful. Creative partnerships— with local businesses, schools, and other groups—will strengthen the Coalition by bringing specialized knowledge and new resources to the table. Seek out partners with skills, resources, and contacts that complement those of the existing Coalition members and will help to achieve program goals. Diverse partnerships indicate local support and build the credibility and legitimacy of a Coalition. Working with different partners may help the Coalition find additional funding rather than compete with similar organizations for the same grants. It is important to develop continuity within the Coalition; shared responsibility will enable the Coalition to survive during times of transition. Remember-an effective campaign should include all members of the community! How to Reach Voters with Voters Many organizations waste resources trying to contact a target audience door-to-door without doing any research. This is especially true after voter registration has closed. Do not spend precious time the week before the election asking young people, who haven’t registered, to vote. Young voters are generally more transient, and less likely to keep the same phone number and address year to year. Accurate census data or voter roll lists are helpful, but not always available or correct for this audience. The campaign can take creative measures to overcome this obstacle by conducting its own ‘census’ of potential voters. It is important to realize that this ‘census’ must be assembled early in the campaign. Local community groups may have already collected data on youth through an asset-mapping exercise, where students or groups map community resources and their locations. Election Day The Youth Vote Coalition has been planning and working for months, and now the day is finally here. Because timing is crucial, the Coalition and Coalition Coordinator should collaborate on an hourly schedule to distribute resources and mobilize volunteers as effectively as possible. Stick to the plan, but be as flexible as possible. Communication is paramount during Election Day. See if a local mobile phone company can make an in-kind donation, or if friends of Youth Vote can donate their cell phone minutes. Designate an Election Day Coordinator—NOT the Coalition Coordinator—who will relay vital messages and stay in one place. Mobilize the volunteers. Provide volunteers with the Coordinator’s phone number and have them report in regularly. If appropriate, hire or borrow vans or buses to drive young people to the polls. Do whatever you can to get media coverage of youth voting. The Election Day Coordinator should have the contact numbers for election officials, local media, and local legal advocacy groups in case of irregularities at the polls.17 After the Election Hold a volunteer appreciation event as soon as possible after the campaign—an all-ages party to watch the election returns is a good idea. Delegate a volunteer committee to organize this event. Wrap up all financial obligations and close the books. Communicate Coalition successes to the full Coalition and to all media contacts as soon as possible after the campaign. Put together a final report for the Coalition annual meeting in the spring.
