Developing youth leaders

Developing Youth Leaders in Technology and Nonprofits

Thursday 9/25 – AM Session

Moderated by: Katie Roper

Attending

Organizations represented in the group were focused on:
- Developing and retaining youth leaders in technology
- Developing and maintaining apprenticeship programs (particularly Quilted)
- Developing intergenerational leadership
- Developing internships for youth and pipelines to employment success

Not many schools or programs teach about technology as it relates to non-profits, and there is an especially large gap in education about social justice and technology
Youth in technology-oriented programs have a variety of goals including
Staying in school, moving on to college/university
Employment
Barriers that many youth face include skills, but often are more hindered by a lack of communication skills
They still struggle to identify and seek support to know what they don’t know
Internships can help youth meet goals, but finding the right partners is challenging
Identifying the right partners is key. Good partnerships are built by:
Identifying partners that share in the organization’s values
Organization supporting partners in working with youth
Having a continuum of support before, during and after internship. Don’t forget the exit strategy…what’s next?
Having clear guidelines about what is expected from all parties, including timelines and milestones.
Consensus was that technical boot camps were fine, but in the end not really worth it…learning technology out of context can set someone up for *failure (i.e. they still lack communication, other professional skills, understanding business needs still)
Questions were asked about how helpful program manuals were
Consensus was that it’s really up to the need of the program. If they’re helpful (or required by funders) do them. They can be helpful for when *staff turn over, but don’t do them just to do them.