Engaging Adolescents as Community Organizers

Authors

  • Meredith Tetloff VOX Teen Communications
  • Matt Griffith VOX Teen Communications

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2008.309

Abstract

VOX Teen Communications, a non-profit youth development organization in Atlanta, GA, positions adolescents as leaders in their community. Empowerment theory and a participatory approach are tools often utilized to achieve youth leadership. Teens participated in a community organizing project to create a “for-teens”, “by-teens” resource guide Web site (www.teenresourceatl.org). This guide evaluates agencies, Web sites and hotlines on their “teen-friendliness” when providing services to youth in need. The empowerment-based program allowed the teens to take ownership of the project, resulting in a high level of commitment. Anticipated successes of the program include better access to help for teens in need; positioning teens as both users of the guide and leaders of the project; increased confidence and skill-level of the teen participants; and better informed service providers in the community.

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Published

2008-09-01

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2008)

Section

Program & Practice Articles

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