Beth Tucker
University of Arizona
Coconino County Cooperative Extension
2304 N. Third St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
(928) 774-1868 ext. 12, (928) 774-1860 fax

Katie Proctor
University of Arizona
Coconino County Cooperative Extension
2304 N. Third St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
(928) 774-1868 ext. 22, (928) 774-1860 fax

Through this program of developing effective and action-oriented youth-adult partnerships, youth in Extension and 4-H programs have stepped into leadership roles—they become engaged in their communities and learn that their own assets and the resources in their communities are more than adequate for making a difference. They discover the benefits, challenges and fun of taking part with adults in the decision-making process.

Young people and adults from these partnership programs, many of them within the Extension system, have engaged in activities that involve decision-making for the community: they have served on community councils, neighborhood planning associations and school curriculum planning committees. There are youth on school boards, organizing assemblies in their schools, and lobbying city officials for better school conditions.

In support of youth involvement in decision-making, two resource pieces have been developed, both of which are a part of the National 4-H Collection:

Creating Youth-Adult Partnerships—Curricula for Youth, Adults and Youth-Adults Teams provides step-by-step activities and tips for getting started with youth-adult partnerships, for evaluating their success, and for maintaining strong and increasingly effective teams.

Youth-Adult Partnerships: A Training Manual provides activities and resources that guide the more experienced trainers and practitioners of all ages through the process of engaging youth and adults equally and authentically in creating community change.

In this interactive workshop, participants will explore and experience the variety of youth-adult partnership activities that lead to the increased involvement of young people in community decision making.