Empowering practices for working with marginalized youth

This article was co-authored by IICRD's Natasha Blanchet-Cohen and builds off of the experiences from the YouthScape project.

"Abstract: Based on a participant observation of a community development initiative, this article discusses the importance of acknowledging marginalization amongst youth, and the need for revisiting the nature of prac ti tioner support. Four key practices for achieving partnership between marginalized youth and practitioners are presented: (a) investing in relationships, (b) building on strengths, (c) finding common spaces, and (d) mutual accountability. These practices, along with defining properties, offer insight and direction to move away from the dominant hierarchy in which adults are providers and youth are receivers, and provide fertile ground for systemic changes which acknowledge inequities so youth and practitioners can collaborate in creating more inclusive communities."

Empoweringpractices article.pdf