Planning Meeting with Youth, Youth Agencies, and Others

As promised, we met with two New Haven-based youth agencies, who brought 3 young people, to help us refine the plan for the upcoming forum. The meeting took place on Monday, July 24th. Other participants included a community volunteer, two education activists, three Community Mediation staff, and two Community Foundation staff.

We reviewed what we had planned so far, and asked everyone for feedback. Thanks to Polly Mygatt of Community Mediation for providing the bulk of the notes:

Potential discussion questions and thoughts on the ones what we already had:

• If you were going to give schools homework, what would it be?
• We want a challenging discussion ? Are our questions too safe?
• There is tension between institutional/social/personal responsibility - how do we press for real change and practical action at the same time?
• Possible backup questions for facilitators: (following "What do you *really* want to get out of school?")
• What's the most important thing your school could do to help you get that?
• What's the biggest thing your school could do to get in the way?
• Recall something you tried to do at your school but couldn't for lack of resources or some other reason?
• Avoid questions that lead to the same old answers eg. I should study harder.
• How do we get away from talking about personal performance (study harder) and move to "How to make an education system work for you?"

Possible ways to amplify youth voices:

• youth fishbowl idea
• Ask: What gets in the way of hearing youth voices on the issues of their own education?
• icebreaker involving physical movement - social barometer, have you ever...? etc.

How to incorporate resources/opportunities to get involved:

• have resource people speak at the end of the forum?

Ideas for recruiting youth

• church youth groups
• parent organizations
• YMCAs

Ideas for recruitment and resource table

• Citywide Youth Coalition
• Youth Development Training Resource Center
• Boards of Education
• Education Funds
• New Haven Network for Public Education
• Mothers for Justice
• Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education
• By the People
• ConnCAN
• Teach Our Children

Please feel free to add your ideas. We'd love to add to the above!