Youth engagement has been a hot topic in the nonprofit sector and community for the last several years. Nonprofits want to know how to reach young people and keep them engaged. Especially when it comes to getting young people at decision-making tables to support succession planning for the nonprofit sector.
But, youth engagement goes beyond describing and understanding millennials or generation Z. It’s about creating unique opportunities for youth to have a voice and bring fresh perspectives that fill existing gaps for nonprofits and your community.
This is exactly what Vegreville and District FCSS is doing with their Youth Making A Change program. Youth Making A Change (YMAC) successfully engages students in grades 10 to 12 in board governance, and as a result, encourages succession planning for the future of our sector.
Last year, we covered how Vegreville and District FCSS engages youth in board governance through this program, so we decided to provide an update of how their program is making a difference in their community.
Inspiring youth to get involved in governance and nonprofit
YMAC inspires, equips and mobilizes youth to take action to make changes in their community and learn new skills through service. When Vegreville & District first created YMAC, there were no programs in which youth were taught about leadership and community engagement, and also given a first-hand board and community project experience.
While most youths have the opportunity to join in sports, or other after-school activities, there was not a space for youth who possessed an interest in volunteerism and leadership skills in a more formal setting. YMAC was able to fill that void by creating a safe space for the students to come once a week and take action in bettering themselves and their community.
“The program has been effective for the youth,” says Julie Gottselig, Manager at Vegreville and District FCSS. “When going through their evaluations, 8 out of the 10-youth said that they feel that because of YMAC, they can make a difference in their community. Having this program available in the community is vital to help inspire youth and show them that they can make a difference.”
As a result, many young people that participated in YMAC now volunteer in the Vegreville community. A few students even mentioned that they want to work in human services after they graduate thanks to the program. That is, YMAC inspires young people with a hands-on opportunity to learn and understand the value and impact of the nonprofit sector.
Impact on Vegreville nonprofits
According to Vegreville and District FCSS, YMAC Board Mentors appreciate and see the value of having a youth member on their board as it brings in a fresh face and new ideas. One Board Mentor said this about their experience:
“It’s inspiring to have young people be interested in not only being a part of their community but also giving back to it. It’s great to see them being involved in such an impactful way.” – Joanna Karczmarek, Board Mentor at Vegreville Food Bank
Because of these positive experiences through YMAC, many Vegreville nonprofit boards request to have youth join them for the next YMAC intake. Other Vegreville nonprofit boards even get a second youth member to join them in the following years!
How nonprofits can engage youth in board governance
To engage youth in board governance in your community, Vegreville and District FCSS recommends providing appropriate training for your board. The training must teach board members on how to be mentors for youth.
More specifically, being a mentor means knowing the different ways to make sure youth are comfortable and have an enjoyable experience as a board member themselves.
“This can include not putting the youth on the spot or forcing them to participate in a conversation, warning them when a topic may become intense, and offering them words of encouragement throughout the meetings,” says Emma Murray, FCSS Child Youth and Family Programmer.
According to Vegreville and District FCSS, providing this training is what makes YMAC possible and successful. Beyond training, they also recommend getting youth involved in being a part of events and planning. They find YMAC students enjoy boards more when there are specific events that give them an opportunity to show their more creative side during board meetings.
Vegreville and District FCSS is a nonprofit organization that prevents crisis and takes care of the social well-being of the community by offering low/no cost programs and services to the Town of Vegreville and the western portion of the County of Minburn.
Do you want to learn how to get youth to join your board? Contact Vegreville & District FCSS for more information.