Download - CommonAction Youth Engagement Catalog

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2012-2013 Youth Engagement Catalog

Workshops & Publications for…

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Individuals, Organizations, Change Agents, Children & Youth, Educators, Youth Workers, Parents, Students, Community Organizers, and many others.

CommonAction Consulting | (360) 489-9680 | commonaction.org

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Table of Contents table Of Contents ____________________________________ 2

About Commonaction ________________________________ 3

Recommendations _________________________________ 3

Our Expertise _____________________________________ 4

Our Activities _____________________________________ 5

Our People _______________________________________ 6

Training & Professional Development ____________________ 8

Workshop Logistics ________________________________ 8

Youth Engagement Workshops _______________________ 9

Skill Building Workshops ___________________________ 12

Youth Engagement Publications _______________________ 13

Certification Programs _____________________________ 15

Past Youth Engagement Clients And Collaborators _________ 18

Costs And Scheduling ________________________________ 20


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About CommonAction CommonAction Consulting envisions all people everywhere living engaged lives, including children, youth, and adults. We believe engagement is the sustained connection a person has to the world within or outside herself or himself. CommonAction staff foster engagement through substantive personal development, sustainable social change, meaningful policy reform, and powerful transformation activities. Founded in 2005 by internationally recognized community engagement thought leader Adam Fletcher, CommonAction Consulting is a socially oriented private firm. Beginning in 2001 with our flagship program, The Freechild Project, we focused on youth engagement in community settings. Our school outreach program, SoundOut, launched in 2002 to focus on student engagement. Heartspace, our new initiative launching in spring 2012, focuses on personal engagement. Throughout the years we have worked in

Recommendations “Adam Fletcher's work is especially relevant in getting young people to participate in the realms of politics and critical education.” —Henry Giroux, Global Television Network Chair in


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English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University; Author 40+ books about education and youth “CommonAction creates opportunities for people to become meaningfully involved in the decisions that affect them. Their work has made them the “go to” organization on these issues nationally.” —Greg Williamson, Washington state education agency “Adam is one of the most knowledgeable people in the world regarding student voice and youth rights. I have attended his thorough and excellent presentations and confer regularly on current work in the field. I highly recommend him as a presenter and a writer in our field.” —Dana Mitra, Associate Professor, Penn State University; Author, Student Voice in School Reform. “Adam is one of the most gifted, principled visionaries who empowers people of all ages and backgrounds to pursue authentic youth engagement in all sectors of society.” —Wendy Lesko, Executive Director, Youth Activism Project; Author, Youth: The 26% Solution.

OUR EXPERTISE CommonAction is a boutique firm that does not seek to “do it all.” Instead, we focus on several specific areas of expertise.

Youth Engagement Nonprofit organizations, community groups, and government agencies work with The Freechild Project to take action focused on Youth Voice, Service Learning, Authentic Youth Engagement, and more. We also lead Engagement Learning Communities. Learn about The Freechild Project at freechild.org.


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OUR ACTIVITIES

Workshops Operating in local settings, national conferences, and retreats, our educational and skill-building training events are for all ages and professional development.

Motivational and

Expert Speeches Adam Fletcher provides powerful talks for audiences of all sizes and ages about engagement, transformation, action, and more.

Organizational

Consulting Our specialties in consulting include program design, evaluation, and organizational change work focused on human engagement.

Coaching CommonAction President Adam Fletcher works with a small number of individuals annually to provide coaching focused on life and livelihood.

Program Design K-12 schools, youth-serving nonprofits, government agencies and other organizations hire us to conceptualize, design, and implement programs.

Freelance Writing Our staff has written more than 100 publications for an education, nonprofit, and government clients. We also manage social media campaigns, community relations activities, and more.


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OUR PEOPLE

Adam Fletcher—President. Adam is the award-winning founder of The Freechild Project and SoundOut. He has created more than 50 projects and has written more than 20 publications. Learn more at adamfletcher.net

Paula Kadanoff—Consultant. Paula is an educator and activist with more than 15 years experience. After becoming active in school reform as a high school student, she is currently going into her sixth year teaching high school in the Bronx. She is also a key member of student leadership activities there.

Teddy Wright—Consultant. Teddy is an exciting facilitator and youth development specialist skilled in program development, implementation and evaluation, and a child advocate and community-builder.

Scott LeDuc—Consultant. Scott is a master teacher with more than a decade in the classroom. He also serves as adjunct faculty at several universities. Learn more about him at scottleduc.org.


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Mike Beebe—Consultant. Mike has over 20 years of experience managing youth and adult leadership programs. He has managed an AmeriCorps program, youth services, and served on the board of directors for a national organization advocating for GLBT families. Learn more about Mike at mikebeebe.biz

Emma Margraf—Consultant. Emma is an expert in community promotion for nonprofits. She has worked in non-profits and in politics for more than a decade. Her experience includes nonprofit communications and community outreach.

Alan Wong—Consultant. An innovative trainer, educator, and artist, Alan leads dynamic workshops throughout North America and beyond. He has been a lead facilitator and program director with the Power of Hope youth-empowerment program for a decade.


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Training & Professional Development CommonAction has been facilitating high quality learning experiences since 2005. Working in more than 35 states and 4 countries, our president Adam Fletcher is renowned for his interactive, humorous expertise. CommonAction staff have more than 100 years combined experience working with diverse participants in a variety of settings. Following is information about what we provide.

Workshop Logistics We offer each workshop in formats ranging from 60 minutes to 6 days, and can create longer retreat and conference formats on request. They can be customized as training events, conference sessions, or professional development programs. They are interchangeable for different environments and participants, and can be customized to meet your organization’s needs. Based in current research, practical experience, and pragmatic application, all of our offerings can be customized to meet participant needs. Each workshop is a hands-on, interactive learning event that engages participants as co-learners. Our workshops cover Personal Engagement, Community Engagement, Youth Engagement, School Engagement, and general skill-building workshops.

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOPS Our youth engagement workshops are convenient for youth-serving adults and young people. They teach important theory while staying grounded in practical considerations. Learn more at www.freechild.org.

Advanced Youth Leadership Training. Focused on engaging traditionally dis-engaged youth leaders. Youth and adults who are ready to change the world learn the skills, issues, and pathways communities, organizations, and individuals can take towards youth leadership, and different ways youth leadership can change the lives of youth, adults, and the world.

Equity, Not Equality: REAL Youth/Adult Partnerships. Focuses on relationships between young people and adults. Moving adults from seeing children and youth as the passive recipients of adult decision-making, this workshop teaches practical, concrete pathways to form partnerships between young people and adults at home, in schools, within communities, and throughout our society.

Intro to Youth Voice. Participants in this workshop learn that youth voice is any expression of any young person about any topic anywhere all the time. Youth and adults in this workshop learn how to harness the power of youth voice to create effective, sustainable change in the lives of young people and throughout our communities.

Moving Beyond Voice. This workshop is an advanced session for practitioners to study the Cycle of Engagement and how it can be used throughout their lives, programs,


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organizations, and communities. Participants examine assumptions, critically assess activities, and plan for future action.

How to Work with Youth. Training for youth workers, teachers, and other adults who support young people. This workshop maximizes decades of research and experience working with children and youth to support adults becoming allies with children and youth. Adult participants learn practical skills, important issues, and key considerations to successfully working with young people. Barriers are directly addressed, and resources are shared to ensure participant effectiveness in their own settings.

Learning through Service. This workshop shows how activism, organizing, community service, and social change are powerful ways to engage young people in learning practical classroom goals. This workshop engages teachers, youth workers, and youth in learning about service, reflection, meeting community needs, and building powerful agents for social change through learning and teaching.

New Roles for Young People Throughout Society. Participants explore the cultural shifts happening as young people access technology and personalized consumerism. The world they live in is changing, and because of that the institutions that serve them must change, too. Explore those expectations and identifies powerful, effective ways to engage young people.

Engaging Young People in Social Change. Draws on more than 100 years history of American youth activism. This


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workshop is a broad overview of effective, meaningful, and sustainable approaches to engaging young people in social change. Participants identify opportunities and challenges for that action.

Youth-Led Action. This workshop explores different ways to engage young people in creative, sustainable, and effective social change. Includes concrete planning, recruitment, and evaluation activities.

Intro to Community Engagement. Provides an overview of what community engagement is, where and how it happens, and why we need to be concerned about it. Gives a concrete overview of theory and practice, and focuses on real outcomes.

Connecting to Constituents. Participants learn hands-on tools for engagement. They study different approaches to making a difference, and identify new opportunities for deeper impact.

Engaging Government as Allies, Not Enemies. Build alliances, establish collaborations, and deepen relationships in order to promote social change. Concrete examples and real experience are used to highlight research-driven tools that can be used in any setting.

Moving From Apathy to Solidarity. Participants in this workshop explore different perceptions service providers, funders, educators, and others have of the people they serve. They then explore different ways to transform those perceptions, and what to do when transformation does not happen.


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SKILL BUILDING WORKSHOPS These workshops provide basic skill-building opportunities for participants to identify and explore what they know and need to know, and then challenges them to go to the next level.

Intro to Engagement

Becoming an Effective Facilitator

How to Work with Children

How to Work with Youth

How to Work with Parents

How to Work with Government Workers

How to Work with Nonprofits

How to Work with Schools

Ready for Social Change

Breaking Stereotypes

Examining Media Bias

Be Who You Are

Words as Weapons and Tools

Short Listening Activities

Feedback Techniques

Jargon Flags

Power, Trust, and Respect

Ground Rules

Group Strengths and Weaknesses

The Silent Circle

Group Appreciations

It’s in the Bag

Problem Solving 101

Probing for Problems

Planning For Roadblocks

Wrapping Up Action

Letting Go & Taking Charge

Ideal Partners

Creating Roles for Community Members

Teambuilding

Introduction to Service Learning

Introduction to Community Involvement

Introduction to Social Change

All our workshops can be customized for audiences ages 8 to 80, and we can accommodate group sizes from four to four hundred. Contact our office for more information.


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Youth Engagement Publications CommonAction staff have written more than 100 publications for a education, nonprofit, and government clients. Textbooks, curriculum, introductory guides, and program manuals form the core of our tools. We also write articles for magazines and websites, activity guides, a popular blog, and maintain active Twitter feeds.

The International Guide to Adultism. Bias towards adults happens throughout all societies. This guide shows how adultism appears, what happens, and who it affects. It then details how to overcome adultism for young people and adults. (100 pgs, 2012)

Much Hope: Adam

Fletcher Examines Youth Engagement. In this collection of essays, movement leader Adam Fletcher explores his 20+ year career working with young people and adults to change the world. (200 pgs, 2012)

Freechild Project Youth Voice Toolbox. Comprised of a series of one- and two-sheet publications, these tools identify practices, practical considerations and critical concepts that are focused on engaging Youth Voice, particularly among historically disengaged young people. Written by Adam Fletcher. (60 pgs, 2011)

Freechild Project Youth

Engagement Workshop Guide. 24 hands-on, interactive workshops designed to teach youth and adults about how to successfully engage young people. Includes workshops on communication, planning,


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and other topics. Written by Adam Fletcher. (74 pgs, 2012)

Freechild Project Youth Action Toolkit. A simple strategy for complex action, this series of tools was designed for young people to take action and make the world a better place. Includes research, planning, delivery, and evaluation tools. Written by Adam Fletcher. (50 pgs, 2012)

Youth Engagement Handbook. An introductory guide that lays out what, why, who, when, where, and how youth voice happens in diverse communities around the world. Includes a Youth Engagement Assessment and a resource section. Written by Adam Fletcher. (110 pgs, 2012)

Freechild Project Guide

to Social Change Led By

and With Young People. A summary of the social change issues and actions addressed by and with young people around the world. Written by Adam Fletcher and Joseph Vavrus. (15 pgs, 2007)

Freechild Project Guide

to Cooperative Games

for Social Change. An introductory guide for those interested in making social change engaging and relevant to all participants. Written by Adam Fletcher and Kari Kunst. (24 pgs, 2005)

Firestarter Youth Empowerment Program. . Sections on motivation, skill building, issue awareness, and action planning help youth to learn about empowerment. Includes a facilitator’s guide. Written by Adam Fletcher. (60 pgs, 2002)


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CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS CommonAction is offering a growing collection of certification programs designed to give individuals and organizations around the world the opportunity to provide high-quality, engagement-focused activities in their communities. Certifications are good for one-year, include access to the most up-to-date materials, and come with Internet-based technical assistance.

SoundOut Youth Action Curriculum Imagine a community...Where youth are equal partners in community change efforts; where youth and adults work together to improve learning, teaching, and leadership throughout communities; where youth voice is seen as a key to successful transformation. THIS is the SoundOut Youth Action Curriculum! SoundOut provides a unique, engaging, and powerful curriculum JUST FOR YOUR program.


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Comprised of eight modules, each with three 50-minute lesson plans, the curriculum is focused on engaging youth as partners in improving communities. Each lesson plan is designed to engage diverse high school students with highly interactive critical thinking, communication, and project-based learning activities. The modules include Learning about Learning; Learning about Communities; Learning about Community Change; Youth as Researchers; Youth as Planners; Youth as Teachers; Youth as Evaluators; Youth as Decision-Makers; and Youth as Advocates. Each module teaches youth about the process of learning, community leadership, and community change, centering the role of youth voice in all of those activities. In addition to the lesson plans, the curriculum comes with handouts, a facilitator’s guide, and access to an online resource collection that supplements the lessons. This curriculum was designed for youth in grades 8-12. It can be used in a variety of settings, including Leadership programs, Service-learning requirements, Community improvement teams, City governments, Advisory programs, Social change groups, and Self-directed learning programs. Written by Adam Fletcher, founder and director of SoundOut, the curriculum is research-driven, student-tested, and school improvement-focused. Written by Adam Fletcher.


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Youth Engagement Workshop Facilitator

Certification Working with youth engagement practitioners across the US and Canada, The Freechild Project trainers have identified a series of routine trainings that local agencies can facilitate on their own. Covering many skill areas essential for every youth worker, this train-the-trainer certification gives facilitators the ability to facilitate essential learning for all youth engagement practitioners. Comprised of 24 different complete workshops, this train-the-trainer workshop covers youth-specific engagement workshops focused on stereotypes, media bias, self-awareness, language, listening, feedback, and more. Participants also study Adam Fletcher’s tips on excellent facilitation, workshop planning, and evaluations. Certifies adults or young people on how to facilitate. Also prepares classroom teachers, afterschool workers, and others on how to most effectively work with children and youth. Edited by Adam Fletcher.


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Past Youth Engagement Clients and

Collaborators Alternatives, Inc.

American Cancer Society Northwest Region

American Institutes for Research - Technical Assistance Program

America's Promise

Baltimore Mental Health Systems

Boys and Girls Club of Thurston County

Campaign Consultation

Capstone Press

Carnegie Corporation

Casey Family Programs

Catalyst Miami/Human Services Coalition of Miami-Dade County

Children's Defense Fund

City of Ephrata, Washington

City of Everett, Washington

City of Cheney, Washington

Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education

Community Youth Services

Corporation for Community and National Service

Dare Mighty Things

Fremont Public Association/Solid Ground AmeriCorps Program

Grantmaker's Forum on Community and National Service

Idaho Governor's Commission on Service and Volunteerism

King County Partners in Prevention Program

King County Youth Development Network

Manchester Youth Commission

National Network for Youth

National Youth Rights Association

Nebraska Commission on Community and National Service

North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, Inc.

Olympia Free School

One World Now!

PeaceJam Northwest

Pierce County Prevention Program

Prairie Ridge Community Association

Project Service Leadership

Right of Passage Journeys and Chemical Dependency Professionals of Washington State

Santa Barbara County Service Learning Initiative

Seattle Metrocenter YMCA Foster Youth Program

Seattle Penny Harvest

Seattle Seahawks/Seattle Sounders


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Service Learning Seattle

SOAR

Suncoast EarthForce

Surdna Foundation

TeamChild

Thurston County Youth Worker Summit

Together, Inc.

United Nations Development Program/Projecto Juventude, São Paulo, Brazil

University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development

Village of Caroline, Alberta

Volunteer Center of Thurston, Mason and Lewis Counties

Washington Recreation and Parks Association

Washington Service Corps

Washington State Employment Security Department

Washington State Youth Leadership Summit

YMCA Youth Leadership Summit

Youth and Family Leadership Institute

Youth On Board

YouthBuild USA

Youth Service America

Costs and Scheduling For a complete price sheet, scheduling details, and more information please contact our office. Address CommonAction PO Box 6185 Olympia, WA 98507-6185 USA Email [email protected] Phone Adam Fletcher (360)489-9680