Youth Participation Barriers

Community leaders should also be aware of the barriers that prevent youth involvement, and develop strategies to avoid or effectively handle these obstacles – should they present. Researchers have found that there are three major barriers that affect youth participation. The first barrier is manipulation – youth do not want to feel like the adult leaders are attempting to manipulate them by educating them on community development, rather than engaging them in the process. Secondly, youth do not like to feel powerless; they want to feel empowered to make decisions in the development of youth programs that serve them. The third barrier involves adults’ general perception of youth; they do not want to be viewed as something to protect, but rather as an intricate part of the community development process.
What impact does community engagement have on youth? Community engagement of youth yields positive results, not only for the youth population, but also for the communities in which they reside. Research has identified positive results in three primary areas: Improved Conditions, Better Decisions, and Increased Social Capital (Carrison, 2006).
Improved Condition. As young people take on specific community issues and …show more content…
The Town currently owns six buses, also known as Call-A-Bus. These buses are primarily used to shuttle the Towns seniors to and from various community events. The largest and most densely populated area in the Town is the London Woods Community. This community, located off Rollins Avenue, is not walkable or accessible to the Town and Community Hall due to a lack of sidewalks. Most, if not all, of the Towns events are held at this location. In the Towns youth engagement plan, I would recommend that the Mayor and Councilmembers consider using these buses to transport youth. This will remove any accessibility barriers that may exist, increase participation, and ensure that the youth are able to travel safely to and from