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CIL4: Program provides a description on how they promote youth voice and engagement by planning intentional opportunities for schoolagers to identify and lead activities and hands-on experiences.
Schoolagers benefit when they have a voice in their education. Often they don’t have a say in what happens throughout their day, as their families and other adults make decisions for them. When programs give schoolagers a say, it can make them feel safe, respected, and heard, all of which empower them to thrive.
Consider some of these tips to support schoolagers’ voice and engagement. Then, just add these changes to your written description.
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Give schoolagers opportunities to plan, carry out and evaluate their own activities daily. Schoolagers may have free play time where they can plan and carry out their own activities, instead of having all activities preplanned by staff.
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Give schoolagers time during the week to help with the planning and design of the program and activities offered. Staff might offer time each Monday, for example, where schoolagers give input or share ideas about their plans for the week.
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Allow schoolagers to be actively involved in decision-making and leadership roles. Staff might offer children the option to have classroom leaders or to vote on activities and guidelines/rules, to have a say in classroom decision making and leadership.
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Encourage schoolagers to offer ideas, take initiative, make suggestions, and lead program activities. Schoolagers might be given opportunities to teach the class a new skill and lead others through an activity about it.
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Give schoolagers opportunities to participate and develop connections with their larger community. Staff might have schoolagers visit with the local senior center, help neighbors in the community rake leaves or shovel snow, or pick up trash in the community.
This indicator requires that the program has a description of how they promote youth voice and engagement for schoolagers. A description is something that is written that the program has in place. This could be a policy, statement, plan, or something else.
For more information about this indicator, review the Quality Indicators Guidance Document and Quality Indicators FAQ.
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