Empowering Youth Leadership: Building Connections and Amplifying Youth Voice

Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

Center for Schools and Communities

First Presenter’s Email Address

Center for Schools and Communities

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Stephanie Colvin-Roy provides professional development in prevention education, social and emotional learning (SEL), trauma-informed SEL, and youth development. She has created youth and adult workshops and programming incorporating SEL competencies, reducing substance use and abuse, preventing peer abuse, and promoting resilience. Stephanie is a lifelong learner. Her philosophy on education and parenting encourages youth voice and the development of social and emotional skills for youth to become creative problem-solvers and critical thinkers. As the Lead ICPS International Trainer, she coordinates professional development, consultation, and product development activity for both I Can Problem Solve (ICPS) and Raising a Thinking Child (RaTC) in her current role at Center for the Promotion of Social and Emotional Learning (CPSEL), an initiative of Center for Schools and Communities (CSC). Stephanie and the CSC have had the honor of working with ICPS program developer Dr. Myrna B. Shure.

Second Presenter's Institution

Center for Schools and Communities

Second Presenter’s Email Address

klehman@csc.csiu.org

Second Presenter's Brief Biography

Karen Lehman is currently the Youth Development Program Manager at the Center for Schools and Communities (Center) in Camp Hill, PA. She has been with the Center since 2005 and brought with her extensive social work experience related to pregnant and parenting teens, individuals experiencing homelessness, and a certification through Parents as Teachers. As program manager Karen leads initiative work supporting afterschool 21st CCLC programming, teen parenting, foster care youth, youth experiencing homelessness, and migrant youth. Karen is a doctoral student at Millersville University. She obtained her MSW from Marywood University in 2004 and enjoys the combination of education and social work that her position at the Center allows. The aspect of her job that she enjoys the most is providing guidance to staff, working as a coach, and helping others strengthen their leadership skills. Karen is certified in Leadership Essentials from eCornell, and as a Trauma-Skilled Specialist from the National Dropout Prevention Center. Karen’s outside interests include youth mentorship, baking, wine collecting, traveling, reading and playing flute and string instruments. She lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her partner Tim and Isabella (Bella), the sweetest Old English Sheepdog that has ever lived.

Third Presenter's Institution

Center for Schools and Communities

Third Presenter’s Email Address

ehoffer@csc.csiu.org

Third Presenter's Brief Biography

Beth Hoffer is a Youth Development Coordinator at the Center for Schools and Communities. She provides support and assistance to Pennsylvania Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center grant recipients. Beth assists in the analysis of performance data from Pennsylvania grantees. She develops training sessions and webinars on 21st CCLC grant compliance, data collection, leadership skills training and programming strategies. Beth is a certified Trauma Skilled Specialist through the National Dropout Prevention Center. She has a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from Penn State University. In 2012, she received her Elementary School teacher certification.

Submitter

I am submitting this proposal as one of the presenter(s)

Location

Ballroom D

Strand #1

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Relevance

Social & Emotional Skills:

The description emphasizes the importance of "small, everyday interactions" as fundamental to building a thriving community. These interactions are directly tied to fostering social and emotional skills by helping youth build connections, manage emotions, and navigate relationships effectively. Exploring "the power of human connections" aligns with enhancing the social climate for all children and youth, supporting their emotional growth, and creating an environment where they feel valued and heard.

Academic Achievement & Leadership:

The focus on "strategies to promote youth leadership and elevate youth voices" directly aligns with the strand of Academic Achievement & Leadership. By empowering youth through leadership opportunities, participants can help close achievement gaps by fostering a sense of agency and responsibility in their learning. Additionally, strengthening relationships and promoting positive youth development will contribute to an environment where all children and youth are better equipped to achieve academically and grow as community leaders.

Brief Program Description

In the dynamic and often challenging environments of both formal and out-of-school education, small, everyday interactions are the building blocks of a thriving community. By exploring the power of human connections, we will delve into strategies to promote youth leadership and elevate youth voices. Participants will leave with tools to strengthen relationships and contribute to positive youth development.

Summary

This session introduces participants to fundamental principles and strategies for engaging youth voices in decision-making. Drawing on research in youth participation, positive youth development, and organizational change, we will explore frameworks for assessing and improving the quality of youth leadership across multiple dimensions.

Participants will learn about the benefits of authentic youth-adult partnerships in shaping policies and practices that affect young people. We will examine how to create empowering settings that inspire growth, provide comprehensive support, offer opportunities for youth to take on new roles, and demonstrate visionary leadership committed to change.

Through interactive activities and discussion, participants will gain strategies for implementing youth voice at different ecological levels – from individual rapport -building to creating favorable organizational environments. We will explore how to assess current youth leadership efforts and identify areas for growth using validated self-assessment tools. Participants will also learn about key stages in the process of embedding youth voice as standard practice, from initial awareness-building to institutionalizing new youth roles.

The workshop will highlight examples of successful leadership endeavors. We will examine how these efforts can be structured to promote both youth development and organizational improvement. Participants will have opportunities to reflect on how to adapt youth voice strategies to their specific contexts.

By providing research-based frameworks and practical tools, this workshop aims to help youth-serving systems and organizations move beyond rhetorical commitment to authentic power-sharing with young people. Participants will leave the session equipped to assess and enhance meaningful youth participation in their settings.

Evidence

Anyon, Y., Kennedy, H., Durbahn, R., & Jenson, J.M. (2018). Youth-led participatory action research: Promoting youth voice and adult support in afterschool programs. Afterschool Matters, 27, 10-18.

Blakeslee, J. & Walker, J.S. (2018). Assessing the meaningful inclusion of youth voice in policy and practice: State of the science. Portland, OR: Research and Training Center for Pathways to Positive Futures, Portland State University.

Eubanks Owens, P., Nelson, A. A., Perry, A., & Montgomery-Block, K.F. (2010). Youth voice matters: Toward healthy youth environments. Healthy Youth/Healthy Regions Working Paper. Center for Regional Change, UC Davis.

Gardner, R., Snyder, W., & Zuguy, A. (2019). Amplifying youth voice and cultivating leadership through participatory action research. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 27(54).

Gay, G. (2010). Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice. (Rituals and Routines). Teachers College Press.

MacGregor, M. (2007). Building Everyday Leadership in All Teens: Promoting Attitudes and Actions for Respect and Success. Free Spirit Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.

Mitra, D. (2005). Increasing student voice and moving toward youth leadership. The Prevention Researcher, 13(1), 7-10.

Martinez Perez, L. (2020). Teaching with the Heart in Mind: A Complete Educator's Guide to Social Emotional Learning. Brisca Publishing.

Sprague Martinez, L., Richards-Schuster, K., Teixeira, S., & Augsberger, A. (2018). The power of prevention and youth voice: A strategy for social work to ensure youths' healthy development. Social Work, 63(2), 135-143.

Woodgate, R.L., Tennent, P., & Barriage, S. (2020). Creating space for youth voice: Implications of youth disclosure experiences for youth-centered research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 1-13.

Learning Objective 1

1) Understand key frameworks and principles for meaningful youth participation in organizational and system-level decision-making.

Learning Objective 2

2) Learn strategies for implementing youth voice at multiple ecological levels

Learning Objective 3

3) Gain tools for assessing current youth leadership efforts and identifying areas for growth.

Keyword Descriptors

Youth Voice, Participation, Engagement, Advocacy, Empowerment, Leadership, Collaboration, Community, Connections, Elevate Youth

Presentation Year

2025

Start Date

3-3-2025 1:00 PM

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Mar 3rd, 1:00 PM

Empowering Youth Leadership: Building Connections and Amplifying Youth Voice

Ballroom D

In the dynamic and often challenging environments of both formal and out-of-school education, small, everyday interactions are the building blocks of a thriving community. By exploring the power of human connections, we will delve into strategies to promote youth leadership and elevate youth voices. Participants will leave with tools to strengthen relationships and contribute to positive youth development.