Components
CurriculumYouth Organizing draws on the core concepts of community, equity, social justice, and change. Youth experience and fulfill these values through identifying a collective issue in their community and working to sustainably create positive change. As a co-leader of the Youth Organizing partnership, I assisted with the planning and facilitation of weekly lessons and activities drawing on year-long curriculum developed by CCESL.
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PartnershipBuilding on the Youth Organizing value of community, youth engaged local stakeholders in the identification and assessment of their chosen issue: youth mental health. I assisted in facilitating community partnerships with staff at Dr. Martin Luther King Early College, local mental health professionals, and the statewide initiative of I Matter Colorado.
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ShowcaseAt the end of the school year, youth came to the University of Denver campus to showcase their learnings and initiatives to over __ community members. In addition to guiding the Youth Organizing participants throughout the year in the preparation of their presentation, my team and I also planned and hosted the showcase event.
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Critical Reflection
My engagement with Youth Organizing has taught me the value of thinking outside of the box when it comes to educational structure. In traditional educational spaces, students learn about social change but are not challenged to enact this process themselves. Youth Organizing curriculum and principles have the explicit goal of moving students toward action in their own communities. In my experience as a student, both in K-12 and higher education, I have very seldom had time in class be dedicated to creating tangible change in an identified area of concern. Youth Organizing inspires me to not limit the capacity for change within youth and to create spaces in which initiative is expected and supported.
All of this is not to say, of course, that community change comes easy. Youth Organizing has also taught me the importance of emphasizing process over product -- something that can be difficult in a results-oriented world. Through the support of CCESL during this project, I was introduced to and guided by the Emergent Strategy principle of "there is always enough time for the right work." I hold this to be especially true in the context of engaging with youth who are just beginning their journeys as community change-makers.
While Youth Organizing was the first experience many students in the program had with leading community change in an educational setting, it was also my first experience guiding this process. The year-long experience challenged my growth in the areas of curriculum implementation, values-driven education, and collaboration in planning and facilitation. The support system within CCESL, my Youth Organizing co-leaders, and the students at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College supported my leadership development this year and consistently inspired me to do "the right work."
All of this is not to say, of course, that community change comes easy. Youth Organizing has also taught me the importance of emphasizing process over product -- something that can be difficult in a results-oriented world. Through the support of CCESL during this project, I was introduced to and guided by the Emergent Strategy principle of "there is always enough time for the right work." I hold this to be especially true in the context of engaging with youth who are just beginning their journeys as community change-makers.
While Youth Organizing was the first experience many students in the program had with leading community change in an educational setting, it was also my first experience guiding this process. The year-long experience challenged my growth in the areas of curriculum implementation, values-driven education, and collaboration in planning and facilitation. The support system within CCESL, my Youth Organizing co-leaders, and the students at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College supported my leadership development this year and consistently inspired me to do "the right work."
Partners and Mentors
John Macikas
Laura Quezada
Daniela Chavez
Will Sciepko
Laura Quezada
Daniela Chavez
Will Sciepko