Youth Leadership

1
Youth Leadership

• A Myth or Reality

miriam.teuma_at_um.edu.mt Dept. of Youth and
Community Studies University of Malta
2
Paradigm ShiftFromYoung people as potential
social problems To Young people as a
potential community asset (Little 2002)
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
3
Today- Empowerment- Emancipation-
Participation in decision making- Active
Citizenship (Gore, 2007 Skott-Myre 2005
Haikella 2001)
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
4
Youth Participation and Leadership
HOW?
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
5
Myth 1Calling young people leaders makes them
leaders
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
6
Adults may have different motivations to create
illusion that young people are involved. These
range from - legal obligations - to
obtain funds for their own projects - to a
personal need of power.
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
7
Reality 1Young people are leaders when they
initiate, design and manage and involve
adults in the decision making (Hart 1992)
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
8
Myth 2Leadership cant be taught. The lucky
ones are born with the right stuff.
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
9
Reality 2Young people can be taught the skills
and behaviours needed to be effective leaders
through learning by doing.
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
10
Leadership is a collaborative, social
andrelational activity. It should be
understood as a collective capacity rather than
an individual trait.
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
11
Leadership is an educational process.Effective
youth leadership is a process that engenders
trust and is the result of relationships that
focus on the interactions of youth and adults
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
12
WHY?
WHY?
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
13
The rapid change leads us to be aware of only
part of the young peoples reality
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
14
Benefits for Young People- a contributor to
academic success- improves mental
health- higher self esteem- increase in
self efficacy- improves social justice-
strengthens the ability to contribute to
society- ability to work with others and
in diverse environments
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
15
Benefits for adults- become more competent
in the youth field - more able to adapt
themselves for young peoples needs -
more satisfaction from their work- more
energy and enthusiasm
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
16
As a result REAL youth leadership contributes
to co-learning and inter-generational learning.
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
17
Reality 1Young people are leaders when they
initiate, design and manage and involve adults in
the decision making
And new learning communities are developed
where learning takes place in a non-formal and
informal way.
18
Effectiveness is achieved through complex
thinking, full commitment from all stakeholders
and a mindset which sees differently and is ready
to make a twist towards a true partnership
between young people and adults
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
19
Myth 2Leaders
Positive thoughts cannot exist in a vacuum.
They must be shared with all to be
effective.......just as leaders - young and old
must share parts of themselves with others to be
effective.
Watercolours by Patrick Hoesly
20
You are invited!
miriam.teuma_at_um.edu.mt