What is the Problem you are trying to solve?
We are trying to engage vulnerable young people in positive activity. Targeting young people who are vulnerable to drug and alcohol misuse, we will aim to do the following;
· Raise aspirations and confidence
· Inform young people about the effects of drugs and alcohol
· Engage young people in their community
· Enable them to ‘have a voice’
How are you going to do it?
We will utilise the skills of our workforce to engage targeted groups of young people in positive and exciting activities, providing them with an opportunity to participate in their community. We will use music and other forms of digital media to explore issues within their community and provide a means to feedback their thoughts and opinions to the local and wider community. Using links with local partners we will assist young people in getting their voice heard and having an impact on their community. We will deliver the following activities;
· Music production and DJing
· Digital photography
· Graphic design
· Graffiti art
· Street dance and football
Who will benefit?
Young people and the local community will benefit. Young people will achieve positive outcomes; which include; re-engagement in school, gaining a recognised accreditation, improved knowledge around the effects of alcohol and improved relationships with the local community.
This sounds interesting.
It would be great to hear more about the logic of change.
How does being involved in a media project help young people become re-engaged? What are the key ingredients here…
Is it the media skills? Or the relationship with workers? Or something else?
Too simplist. Requires harder outcomes. Must skill up & teach young people to be better citizens and more involved. Otherwise, it’s just a diversionary activity.
I would draw caution at the previous response. Firstly there is nothing wrong with ‘just another diversionary activity’ - in fact I think there should be many more of them!
I do agree however that programmes should seek to help young people become effective citizens and to be more involved with their communities. I don’t think its correct to make a judgement on the limited amount of information that is permitted to be place here though. The activities listed can potentially be effective and powerful learning/developmental mediums but this does depend on how they are delivered - the emphasis needs to be on transferable skills, not simply participating in the activities.
I would say it is even more than ‘transferring skills’. More importantly, it is about raising aspirations- if you pardon the pun- and effecting social change within the mindsets of modern youth.
A weekly ‘diversionary activity’ diverts for as long as the activity lasts. So long as there is no longer-term commitment or goal in place, then this change in the minds of young people cannot possibly happen or change their outlook on what life has to offer for their futures and the betterment of society as a whole.
sorry I think perhaps ‘transferable skills’ was misunderstood - my meaning was to provide young people with skills that they can transfer towards their real life needs and in so doing raise their aspirations and prospects.
Your comment that a weekly diversionary activity “cannot possibly happen or change their outlook on what life has to offer for their futures and the betterment of society as a whole” is quite incorrect in my experience although perhaps this too is a confusion in terms between what I would define as ‘diversionary’ - my definition being activities that aim to provide young people with options beyond what they would otherwise be able to access - typically activities like sports or performing arts with a goo structure and well linked to the needs and resources of the local community - activities like these, particularly when under the leadership or with the support of local adults, can very definitely make a considerable impact on young peoples outlook
We had some research on our own work in this field that you can download here:
http://www.breakfastsociety.com/2008/02/research-report-into-training-for-young-peoples-community-involvement/