IMPACT would like to thank all of the authors who contributed to this issue. Inspiring active youth engagement infuses unique and important perspectives in the development of our communities and can serve as a catalyst for their on-going participation. This issue of IMPACT focuses on bringing together case studies in youth participation in a variety of programatic areas. We hope that it helps our readers to develop and grow similar programs in their communities, and to further research and exploration into the impact of bringing youth into community conversations.
Susan Roberta Katz, Ph.D.
Dr. Katz provides a provacative review of the issue's articles as they relate to the current financial crisis in California and similarly situated states.
Ariel H. Bierbaum, MCP and Deborah L. McKoy, MPA, PhD
Operating out of the University of California, Berkeley, Y-PLAN (Youth-Plan, Learn, Act, Now!) is a model for youth civic engagement in city planning that uses urban space slated for redevelopment as a catalyst for community revitalization and education reform. The program partners graduate level mentors, high school students, government agencies, private interests, and other community members who work together on a real-world planning problem. This article first elaborates on the citizen participation theory from the field of planning, then details the structure of the Y-PLAN, and finally provides a case study from the past two years working in Emeryville, California. This article illustrates the Y-PLAN model's effectiveness in fostering positive community outcomes and meaningful learning experiences. We have identified three central conditions on which the success of the Y-PLAN rests: 1) authentic problems engage diverse stakeholders and foster a "community of practice"; 2) adult and youth partners share decision-making; and 3) projects build sustainable individual and institutional success.
Hilary Sohcot-Bass
Hilary Sohcot-Bass shares the development and goals of the Youth Leadership Council of Alameda County, a youth service delivery system for neglected, unincorporated communities in Northern California.
Rachel Antrobus & Diana Pang
Rachel Antrobus and Diana Pang discuss San Francisco's (CA) approach to building leadership among youth to empower youth to make changes in their own communities. The article includes profiles of youth participating in San Francisco's Youth Commission.
Josh Daniels and David Luu
David Luu and Josh Daniels critically assess the development, challenges, and successes of the Berkeley High Student Court, a peer-based discipline program harnessing youth empowerment to implement restorative alternatives to traditional forms of school discipline. Read youths' perspectives on the court and David and Josh's experiences with the program.
