Speak Out

Camden, NJ
The political, social, and economic forces that hinder me in my work with youth are the following: political- it seems that only at the grassroots level is there any understanding of the plight of our youth-what they go through on a daily basis trying to do positive things-how terrible their pre-school,elementary education, middle school, high school was-how unhealthy their diets are-how many of them don't have moms or dads, the condition of their homes, lack of homes. So much of the national policy that has huge impacts on the youth I work with is directly impeding the positive influence and strides our youth are receiving and making. social- even among liberal thinkers in the USA, unless they are exceptionally open and/or cutting edge educators, not many people truly comprehend all of the negative forces that are in no way created or controlled by youth in the inner city that make it almost impossible for them to climb the ladder of social stratification.

On top of this, not many care, or feel it strongly enough to devote their time and energy to making things right. If we had millions of caring enlightened people in the USA from all races, religions, and ages who knew our youth, saw what they could do given opportunities, and realized that we could change the culture here to one that loves and supports people who are being treated unfairly, discriminated against, and having criminal acts committed on them (quality of schools, health care, healthy food availability, drug access, advertising bombardment). Economical- this is very intertwined in the political and social, this is a capitalist country-for me to get mine in some way somebody else cant get theirs. Gaining access to long term wealth is a competition and the youth I work with aren't prepared for and most do not buy into what they must do to play the game. On a bigger scale- corporate America makes billions of dollars off of our youth consuming ideas, products, and services that are keeping them in poverty. Like Dick Gregory, I advocate the use of hunger strikes and boycotts to impact this.

Richmond, VA
Youth work has consistently been challenged over the years, in areas such as validity, effectiveness, and the ultimate goal for youth to have the opportunity to gain social sustainability.  However, now more than ever; with changes in best practice information, lack of resource sharing, and the inability to connect youth based on their own principles and culture—working with youth has moreover become the “spinning of wheels” rather than the reinvention of the spoke.  With youth workers, program directors, and agency administers all tied into funding that suggests evaluation of program success, be based on scientifically measurable outcomes and logic models; in essence the overall aim for youth to self-actualize and become socially aware has first, been lost in the creation of programs that are “safe” in design (based on funding requirements) and second, in the overall framing of how youth success is measured.  The times demand, that organizations utilize a mode of thinking that is indeed in conjunction with the times in which young people are watching new-age programs, surfing the internet, and listening to various genres of music (indicative of the overarching values and themes prevalent to their world).  Our evaluation criterion, funding allocation, and program success should be based on youth interviews, behavioral/cognitive changes in functioning, but above all measured in tenets that are theoretically based on knowing and respecting youth culture as a whole. 

We should ultimately be seeking partnerships with the entertainment, music, print media, and internet industries.  Respectfully, showing the need for accountable practices with regards to youthful consumers, also serves as a valid introduction to the types of potential funding and opportunities that could vastly be created.  Youth servicing  agencies and even corporate support all continue to ignore the realms by which young people, learn, exist, and integrate; should the trend persist we may as well admit outright that our work with youth is either done or in vain.  Again, the barriers to youth work are numerous, but if there is a spearheaded effort in the realm of receiving and accounting for funding, creating new evaluation criteria that explain programmatic success, as well as the youth work industry making the above industries detrimentally tied to youth around the world; there still is a sense of optimism and social redemption possible. 

This is a call to arms for those who claim to work in the favor of youth; to lead a new charge in revitalizing youthful spirits and creating long-term care tied to funding that is relevant, cogent, and succinctly dedicated to youth work. We have been quiet for too long and have not chin-checked those who utilize youths energy, yet fail to refuel it!