Understanding Youth

Leadership
American Red Cross Youth
Big 5
> Count off in sevens
> Seven groups
> Find five things you all have in common
(not Red Cross or Red Crescent!)
> You have 10 minutes
Seven fundamental principles
> Humanity
> Impartiality
> Neutrality
> Independence
> Unity
> Universality
> Voluntary service
Your friendly presenters
> Mahati Acharya
> Chris Chen
> Aubin Dupree
> Justin Lam
> Kelly Quann
> Sandy Tesch
> Pat West
> Stewart Zellars
Introduction
> I. Youth Leadership Essentials
> II. (a) Youth Leadership in Practice
> Lunchtime
> II. (b) Youth Leadership in Practice
> III. Bringing it Home
I: Youth Leadership
Essentials
Aubin Dupree
Kelly Quann
At the newsstand
> 1. Magazine cover –
short leadership exercise

> 2. Write the Story –

extended personal and
group strategy exercise
Youth leadership case: the
Measles Initiative
> The Measles Initiative has helped
reduce measles deaths by 74%
worldwide and 89% in Africa since
2000
> Youth Red Cross clubs and volunteers
help the Initiative by raising
awareness in their communities
through creative activities and
fundraisers
> Since the beginning of the Measles
Initiative in 2001, American Red Cross
chapters have raised over 1,228,000
USD, mostly by youth volunteers
Key takeaways on youth
leadership
> We need leadership skills as much to be a good
group member as to direct the activity of the
group.
> Leadership can be learned through experience
and practice, just like other skills.
> Success as a leader depends on not only what we
know and learn, but also on what we do with what
we know.
> We can learn leadership skills best by thinking
about what we are doing and practicing leadership
behaviors with other people.
Youth Power Continuum
Youth leadership ingredients
> Youth leadership skills
> Working with staff and mentors
> Youth-inspired examples
Youth leadership competencies
> Five areas of competency in youth
leadership:
1 Communication
2 Teamwork
3 Personal identity
4 Professionalism
5 Project management
Group activity
> Generally, which kinds of youth activities
and programs can help build your skills?
> How can you identify which skills need
improvement?
> Back home at your National Society, what
kinds of projects might help to improve
skills?
The staff/mentor perspective
> What can staff and mentors do to help young
people develop leadership skills?
> Young people often face obstacles from
adults because of certain beliefs or practices:
• Youth are not capable of leadership
• Adults are unwilling to share power, responsibility,
or decision-making
• Adults assign young people to tasks, rather than
allow them to determine what happens in
planning, design, implementation, and evaluation
Positive steps for staff and
mentors
> Promote youth/adult partnerships
> Empower youth to share in the decision-
making process
> Support youth leadership development
> Provide youth with diversity of experience
> Reward accomplishments and challenge
youth to aim even higher
RC/RC youth leadership
> Brainstorm examples of activities and
programs which could be developed and
implemented by RC/RC youth volunteers
At the newsstand
> 1. Magazine cover –
short leadership exercise

> 2. Write the Story –

extended personal and
group strategy exercise
II: Youth Leadership
in Practice
Mahati Acharya
Sandy Tesch
Stewart Zellars
Overview
> Reflect on the ways
youth serve as
leaders in your
National Society
> Find out about
activities of other
National Societies
> Identify and address
challenges
Youth leadership check-in
> Take a step forward if…
Youth leadership check-in
> Take a step forward if your National
Society has…
• Youth representative on the local board
• Red Cross Clubs at schools
• Local training opportunities for youth
• Youth involved in all aspects of RC/RC
service delivery
Youth leadership check-in
> Take a step forward if your National
Society has…
• National Youth Council
• National policy on youth involvement
• Youth representative on the national board
• National training opportunities for youth
• Volunteer opportunities for youth of all
ages
Youth leadership check-in
> Take a step forward if your National
Society has…
• Partnerships with other organizations
• Regional networks of multiple RC/RC
Societies
Youth leadership check-in
> What else? What did we forget?
Activity summary
> We all have room to grow
> We have similar goals
> We face similar
challenges
> We can learn from
each other
Activity summary
> There are many opportunities for youth
> Youth are leaders at the local, regional,
and national levels
Recap
> Youth are important to the Red Cross/Red
Crescent Movement because…
> Youth leadership is important because…
Lunch assignment
> Start thinking about successes and challenges
at your National Society
> After lunch, be ready to share a best practice
from your National Society
• A great program
• Your youth leadership structure
• A collaboration or partnership
II: Youth Leadership
in Practice
Mahati Acharya
Sandy Tesch
Stewart Zellars
Beach ball sharing
> Favorite service activity
> Greatest success
> Biggest challenge, and how the
challenge was met by youth
> Time you served in a leadership role
American Red Cross
> Facts
• Youth is age 18 and
younger
• Youth adult is age 19-24
• 27% or 130,000 of
American Red Cross
volunteers are youth and
young adults
Leadership structure
> National Youth Council
Leadership structure
> National Youth Council
Alumni Board
Leadership training
> National Youth Institute
Leadership training
> Leadership Development Centers
Local youth involvement
> Red Cross
school clubs
Social media
> redcrossyouth.org
> YouthWire email list
> Facebook
Best practices
> Share some great
ideas from your
National Society!
Thinking big
> What is your youth program’s biggest
challenge?
Addressing challenges
> Make sure your goals
are SMART!
• Specific
• Measurable
• Agreed upon
• Realistic
• Timely
Key points
> We’re all doing
amazing things!
> Youth leadership has
many forms
> Take this time to learn
from each other
III: Bringing it home
Reviewing what we have learned to
create tangible takeaways
Time to meditate
> Ideally, what should youth leadership look
like in your National Society?
> What does a youth who fully encompasses
youth leadership look like?
Time to share
Back in your groups of seven!

> If you had three wishes, what would youth

leadership look like in your National
Society?
> What are three qualities that every strong
youth leader should have?
Reflection pool
> Your personal leadership abilities
> Your National Societies’ current
stance/competencies towards youth
leadership
Building a bridge from reality to ideal
Report back
> What was your ideal situation and what is
your strategy for getting there?
> What are the challenges you see?
> How do you plan to overcome them?
Growing as leaders while in Solferino!
Growing as leaders while in Solferino!

1) What is your personal commitment to making

the most of the WYM?
2) How will you use the knowledge you have
acquired today and will acquire during the
WYM?

Be impact-driven.
General framework: action plan
> Goals
> Stakeholders
> Responsibilities
> Timeframe
Goals
> Remember SMART?
> What are your personal leadership development
goals for the WYM?
> What are your National Society’s goals for youth
leadership, based on what you will learn at the
WYM?
Stakeholders
> Primary
• Your main audience (e.g. your National Society’s
youth volunteers, senior leadership)
> Sub-targets
• Other indirect audiences (other National Society
leaders)
> Future targets
• Potential audiences (e.g. non-Red Cross / Red
Crescent youth who might join your National
Society)
Stakeholders
Responsibility
> You must take the lead for your own
personal development and networking
during the World Youth Meeting!
> Who will be the leader for developing your
National Society’s goals after the World
Youth Meeting?
• Staff vs. volunteers: what are their roles?
Timeframe
> Set a realistic time frame
> Benchmarks
Remember
> Above all, be impact-driven!
> Whether or not the World Youth Meeting is
successful depends on whether we make a
difference with the thousands of volunteers
within our respective National Societies.
> Ask yourself, “How does my World Youth
Meeting experience affect me and my
country’s typical Red Cross or Red Crescent
youth volunteer and communities?”
At the newsstand
> 1. Magazine cover –
short leadership exercise

> 2. Write the Story –

extended personal and
group strategy exercise
Key Points
> Your and your National Society’s growth
> Remember where you want to go
> Reflect and adjust
IDEAL youth leadership…

> Is a goal to strive for

> Is impossible to define

Doing more.
Doing better.
Reaching further.