Elements of Effective Youth-Adult Partnerships

It can be challenging to build effective, sustainable, genuinely collaborative youth-adult partnerships. Successful partnerships have some important elements in common.

Effective partnerships:

Establish clear goals for the partnership. The youth and the adults must understand what their roles and responsibilities will be in achieving the goals.

Share the power to make decisions. If youth have no power to make decisions, their participation is not one of partnership.

Get the highest levels of the organization to commit fully to youth's participation in the organization's work.

Ensure that each adult and young person enters the partnership with a clear understanding of everyone's roles and responsibilities. Not all adults will want to work with youth and not all youth will want to work with adults in a partnership capacity.

Are selective. Young people vary widely in their development and in their readiness and willingness to assume responsibility. The adults must believe that young people are assets and be willing and able to advocate on behalf of youth when stereotyping or negative assumptions about teens arise.

Provide capacity building and training. Effective partnerships don't set young people up for failure by throwing them into situations for which they are not prepared. Similarly, effective partnerships don't set adults up for failure by throwing them into situations for which they are not prepared. Both youth and adults may need training in communication, leadership, assertiveness skills, interviewing, etc., as well as in specific areas of expertise.

Involve parents/guardians. Issues of time, transportation, and commitment need to be cleared with parents or caregivers of youth participants. Keep them informed by sending home scheduled dates and handouts. You may also utilize them as a helpful resource when extra hands are needed.

Are aware that different styles of communication do not imply disrespect, disinterest, or different goals and expectations. Youth and adults say that the best way to resolve conflicts that arise out of different communication styles is to ask questions when one does not understand what is being said or why it is being said.

Value youth's participation and what they bring. Effective partnerships hold high expectations for participating youth and are not afraid of holding youth accountable for their responsibilities.

Value adults' participation and what they bring. Adults frequently offer the partnership knowledge, experience, and access to resources. Effective partnerships guard against discounting potential adult allies, assuming that all adults hold negative stereotypes about youth, or believing that adults will have nothing of value to contribute to a program intended for youth.

Include room for growth – next steps. Where can youth and adults go next? Effective programs ensure that youth and the adults who work with youth have opportunities for advancement.

Remember that youth have other interests and priorities. Too often, adults will enthusiastically enlist the participation of a particularly effective and articulate young person in an overwhelming number of obligations and commitments. Check in often with partnership youth to ensure that they are taking on only as much as they can manage without neglecting other important aspects of their lives, such as family, friends, and education.

Adapted from:

  • Advocates for Youth
    2000 M Street NW, Suite 750
    Washington, DC 20036
    Phone: (202) 419-3420
    Fax: (202) 419-1448