How can you ensure youth perspectives are included in social innovation strategies?

Learning how to communicate and collaborate with youth or Gen Z or really anyone means figuring out how they interact and share and meeting them there. Trying to get them to use your tools and processes won't work.

Truly understanding the context is at the core of every social impact initiative. When involving youth, it's essential to recognize that their lived experiences, cultural backgrounds, and personal narratives shape their perspectives. It's not just about understanding their aspirations or challenges but deeply valuing the unique lens through which they view the world. When we talk about 'context' in social impact work, it's a blend of both the macro (societal norms, systemic challenges) and the micro (individual stories, aspirations).

Understanding the context ultimately means learning to care about what they care about. We ultimately have our own agendas when we are looking to do any kind of work but meaningful engagement starts at meeting them where they are at, in a language they understand. It means driving local ownership being aware of power dynamics so we can strive for more balance and understand how we can actually and meaningfully engage with young people.

In many cases it also means stepping aside and having them lead the project if you want meaningful co-creation, real involvement and impactful results.

This is a key component of ensuring that the voice of youth (and honestly any intentionally marginalized group) is embedded at every stage. It is not enough to do a focus group/survey. This approach has been used with many communities and is often to check the box. Consistently centering the necessity of helping youth cultivate their voice, ideas, concerns, and leadership is key. TRULY listen. Actively include their voice, suggestions, ideas, and help them develop their voice by participating more holistically in the process. Give them space, autonomy, authority, and leadership in the project. Finally, it's vital that we give them credit and visibility for their work/contributions, and create space for them pre & post the process.

For social Impact practitioners engaging with the youth is critical. A way to encourage co creation with Gen Z is to center youth based decision making within organizational structures as well as individual projects. Involvement of this kind strengthens trust between practitioners and youth!

First, ask two questions. 1) Do we believe this product, program, etc. is ripe for a youth perspective? 2) Presuming that it is, do we have a clear pathway to ensure their POV is represented in the end product? If the answer is not yes to both questions, it's not fair to ask young people to co-create with you. If they spend time and energy providing support and feedback, and none of it is reflected in the end, it's disempowering, you've likely burned a channel for future collaboration, and you may have created a broader communications or PR issue depending on how poorly the partnership unravels. If you do engage youth, and their expertise results in commercial value for your organization, make sure they are properly compensated.

Co-creation is the essence of community-driven change. For youth, this isn't just about being included in the conversation, but being recognized as equal partners. In many social impact projects, the youth have an innate understanding of the challenges at hand, given their lived experiences. Their innovative spirit, coupled with this understanding, can lead to transformative solutions. Co-creation isn't a one-time event but an ongoing process, ensuring that the youth remain involved and empowered at every stage.

Co-creating must be grounded in respect for youth voice, first believing that youth have a voice. Not only can co-creating lead to more successful and effective processes and outcomes, but including youth in the evaluation and recharting will result in greater ownership of the effort. When youth voice is honored (compensation, leadership, ownership), our communities become more whole in past, present and future.

While social innovation requires the passion and creativity of the youth, it's our responsibility as social impact practitioners to provide the necessary scaffolding. This goes beyond resources or tools; it's about mentorship, guidance, and creating spaces where their voices are heard and valued. By fostering these supportive ecosystems, we're not just amplifying their current contributions but equipping them to be changemakers in the long run.

Encouraging Youth-led Initiatives Fostering youth-led initiatives is crucial for empowering young people to take ownership of social innovation projects. This can involve providing seed funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities, allowing young people to translate their ideas into tangible actions that impact their communities. Recognizing and Highlighting Youth Achievements Acknowledgement and recognition play a significant role in motivating and inspiring young people to continue their engagement in social innovation. Highlighting their achievements through publications, awards, and public recognition demonstrates the value of their contributions and encourages others to follow their lead.

It is essential to first understand the unique viewpoints of young people on innovation and development, as this forms the foundation for promoting developmental entrepreneurship. Additionally, providing youth with the necessary resources, training, and mentoring can empower them to contribute effectively to social innovation initiatives

In the landscape of social innovation, fostering a culture of learning is crucial. Recognizing that social innovation is a dynamic process, we must create an environment where youth and ourselves embrace failures and mistakes as valuable opportunities for growth and improvement. This entails encouraging curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. By viewing setbacks not as flaws but as stepping stones toward progress, we empower the next generation of innovators to adapt, experiment, and continually refine their social impact efforts.

In the world of social impact, the journey is as vital as the destination. As we navigate complex societal challenges, fostering a culture of learning ensures adaptability and resilience. For the youth, this is particularly crucial. It's not just about imparting knowledge but nurturing an environment where they're encouraged to ask questions, challenge norms, and continuously evolve. In doing so, we're nurturing not just social innovators but lifelong learners.

Evaluation in the realm of social impact is multidimensional. While we measure the tangible outcomes of our initiatives, the intangible growth and development of the youth involved are equally pivotal. Reflection allows us to recognize these achievements, understand areas of improvement, and ensure our strategies remain youth-centric. Through this iterative process, we ensure our social innovations remain relevant, impactful, and youth-driven.