Youth-adult partnership is a

conscious Consciousness, at its simplest, is sentience and awareness of internal and external existence. However, the lack of definitions has led to millennia of analyses, explanations and debates by philosophers, theologians, linguisticians, and scien ...

relationship that establishes and sustains

intergenerational equity Intergenerational equity in economic, psychological, and sociological contexts, is the idea of fairness or justice between generations. The concept can be applied to fairness in dynamics between children, youth, adults, and seniors. It can al ...

between

young people Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...

and

adult An adult is a human or other animal that has reached full growth. In human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a " minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of major ...

s. Youth-adult partnerships often display a high degree of

youth rights The youth rights movement (also known as youth liberation) seeks to grant the rights to young people that are traditionally reserved for adults, due to having reached a specific age or sufficient maturity. This is closely akin to the notion ...

and

autonomy In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ...

, and is often synonymous with meaningful

youth participation ''Youth participation'' is the active engagement of young people throughout their own communities. It is often used as a shorthand for youth participation in any many forms, including decision-making, sports, schools and any activity where young p ...

. Typically seen with adults acting in a mentor capacity, providing scaffolding to the youth. Unlike traditional mentoring, youth-adult partnerships are categorized by multiple adults and multiple youthZeldin, S., McDaniel, A., Topitzes, D., & Lorens, M.B. (2001). "Bringing young people to the table: Effects on adults and youth organizations," ''CYD Journal, 2''(2) p. 20-27. and there must also be a mutuality where adults and youth teach and learn from one another, working together in their community.

Factors for Success

The success of these partnerships rely on a variety of factors. In addition to concrete outcomes, youth/adult partnerships require specific cultural and structural supports within organizations and communities in order to succeed. There needs to be mutual respect and cohesiveness within members of the partnership.

Common Settings

These relationships usually occur within

youth organizations The following is a list of youth organizations. A youth organization is a type of organization with a focus upon providing activities and socialization for minors. In this list, most organizations are international unless noted otherwise. ...

, where they are typified by

youth voice Youth voice refers to the distinct ideas, opinions, attitudes, knowledge, and actions of young people as a collective body. The term youth voice often groups together a diversity of perspectives and experiences, regardless of backgrounds, identit ...

Youth voice Youth voice refers to the distinct ideas, opinions, attitudes, knowledge, and actions of young people as a collective body. The term youth voice often groups together a diversity of perspectives and experiences, regardless of backgrounds, identit ...

is commonly recognized as an essential element of effective youth-adult partnerships.

Schools

democratic schools This is a list of some of the current and former democratic schools around the world. This list also includes sub-branches of democratic schools such as Sudbury schools inspired by the Sudbury Valley School and certain anarchistic free schools ...

, they are typified by student voice. One of the expectations from these youth-adult partnerships is that the student-led groups can represent the student body to the administration and school boards. This can be done in a variety of different ways, such as planning activities, cocreating curriculum, and assessing progress and current effectiveness of programs within the school.

Communities

Youth-adult partnerships can empower youth and adults as they educate their peers and advocate for the promotion of health and active engagement in the community.

Outcomes

Youth-adult partnerships allow young people to: * Express their views and raise awareness for social issues publicly * Gain respect for adult allies * Find ways to express their creativity * Work for a good cause * Think more critically * Be a valued asset to the project and the community * Raise issues that adults may be avoiding, or unaware of. The relationships formed by youth-adult partnerships combat

ephebiphobia Ephebiphobia is the fear of youth. First coined as the "fear or loathing of teenagers",Astroth, K. (1994) Beyond ephebiphobia: problem adults or problem youths? (fear of adolescents). ''Phi Delta Kappan''. January 1, 1994. today the phenomenon ...

and

adultism Adultism is "the power adults have over children". More narrowly, adultism is defined as "prejudice and accompanying systematic discrimination against young people". On a more philosophical basis, the term has also been defined as "bias towards ad ...

by elevating the role of youth voice. A broad number of parties benefit from said partnerships, including the organizations where the partnerships occur, and the adults and youth who are involved. Actual benefits range from increased commitment, to higher feelings of

self-efficacy In psychology, self-efficacy is an individual's belief in their capacity to act in the ways necessary to reach specific goals. The concept was originally proposed by the psychologist Albert Bandura. Self-efficacy affects every area of human endea ...

, as well as increased organizational effectiveness and

civic engagement Civic engagement or civic participation is any individual or group activity addressing issues of public concern. Civic engagement includes communities working together or individuals working alone in both political and non-political actions to ...

. Youth-adult partnerships have been found to be particularly effective in addressing school improvement, promoting

Global Health Initiatives Global Health Initiatives (GHIs) are humanitarian initiatives that raise and disburse additional funds for infectious diseases – such as AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria – for immunizations and for strengthening health systems in developing coun ...

, and integrating technology in the classroom. According to the State of Texas, youth-adult partnerships have allowed young people to assume the roles of advisors and consultants to youth organizations, political lobbyists, community organizers,

grant (money) A grant is a funding, fund given by an end entity grant – often a Government, public body, charitable foundation, or a specialised grant-making institution – to an individual or another entity (usually, a non-profit organisation, sometimes a ...

decision-makers,

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

board directors, and as direct

youth service Youth service refers to non-military, intensive engagement of young people in organized activity that contributes to the local, national, or world community. Youth service is widely recognized and valued by society, with minimal or no compensation ...

providers. Additional practice has identified significant roles for youth-adult partnerships in rural civic engagement projects and in creating effective outreach for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth.(n.d.
GLSEN Jump Start: Youth Adult Partnerships
New York, NY:

GLSEN GLSEN (pronounced ''glisten''; formerly the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) is an American education organization working to end discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expres ...

References

External links

Youth/Adult Partnerships Factsheet
University of Arizona website.

The Freechlid Project.
SpunOut.ie National Youth Website, Ireland
{{Youth empowerment Ageism Youth rights