CASE STUDY: SPOTLIGHT ON YOUTH ORGANIZING – This case study if reproduced from the
Council on Social Work Education Resources for Educators
DUE 4/28 – DROPBOX FOR ASSIGNMENT ON D2L
More and more, young people around the world are organizing around a variety
of issues across racial, class, and other divides. Youth bring vital strengths
to community organizing, including life experiences in their families and communities,
creative ideas, technological savvy, passion, and integrity. They are
organizing around LGBTQ issues, public education, immigration, homelessness,
and environmental justice. Arguing that the civic engagement of youth
can move beyond recycling clubs or other service-oriented projects, youth are
increasingly being viewed as relevant constituents who are capable of confronting
various power structures and winning important gains. Organizing
youth represents a tremendous hope for social change for the future. By raising
consciousness, fostering organizing skills, and supporting youth activist
agendas, we are planting the seeds of sustainable social change work for the
future.
Riot Youth
Riot Youth is an LGBTQ-led youth group in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that is working
on building an inclusive community “through leadership skill building, community organizing, networking,
support and socializing.” Riot Youth is particularly concerned with the climate of schools and has more than
80 members from 15 different high schools in the region. The youth, allies, and adult mentors strive to
influence school policy and climate through trainings of administrators, teachers, and counselors on creating a safe and respectful climate; youth ally trainings; a climate survey; theater (combining stories
and statistics from the survey) with discussions; and participation in school
board and other meetings with decision makers on how to stop bullying and
harassment. Riot Youth also is a space for youth to talk and find support about
their struggles. It has workshops on a range of topics such as gender identity
and expression, intersections of LGBTQQA identity with race and other social
identities, LGBTQQA history, and writing workshops. It also plays theater
games, hosts movie nights, has parties, and hosts a queer prom.
Participatory action research (PAR) has been used as an inclusive and
community-based tool for organizing in a variety of settings. One particularly
fruitful undertaking was a PAR project conducted by Riot Youth. This project
was conducted under the leadership of Riot Youth and an adult mentor.
The purpose of the project was linked to Riot Youth’s ongoing campaign that
10 focused on youth empowerment and institutional change in local high schools.
The youths surveyed 1,200 students in four high schools about school climate
related to safety of LGBTQ youth. With adult assistance, the youths wrote a
final report and developed strategies for dissemination, which included creative
performances to convey the findings. In addition to numerous requests
for performances in the area, the Riot Youth survey received local, state, and
national media attention. These efforts have resulted in the Ann Arbor School
District changing its antidiscrimination policy to include gender identity and
expression, including required in services for school counselors, co-led by Riot
Youth.
The survey development process entailed sharing stories and developing a
critical analysis of experiences. The development of the demographic section
of the survey, particularly the development of questions about race, created
an opportunity to discuss intersectionality and how race influenced people’s
experiences with their sexual identity. This experience affirms that each step
of the PAR process can be an opportunity for consciousness raising and leadership
development.
Questions for Youth Organizing Case Study
1) In what ways are youth marginalized or vulnerable community members?
In what ways do they have power and privilege?
2) Discuss how intersectionality affects youth organizers. Consider the realities
of race and ethnicity, gender, class, and sexual orientation.
3) What techniques can be used to strengthen the collective efficacy of a
group of youth who share some similarities and common goals but have
significant diversities among them (e.g., related to class, immigration status,
gender identity, or race or ethnicity)?
4) In considering youth–adult partnerships, how can practitioners (adults)
attend to their own privilege and hold empowering spaces for youth?
5) Sometimes community organizing is risky business as youth speak truth
to power and take direct action. What are the ethical responsibilities that
practitioners have to youth in terms of:
a. ensuring their basic needs are met (emotional, physical, etc.);
b. avoiding unintended consequences that speaking out or engaging in
direct action may have for them;
c. attending to the realities of youth who are particularly vulnerable (e.g.,
immigrant youth).
6) How do we attend to these issues while still embracing the value of self-determination
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(i.e., that they have rights to make choices for their lives)?
Write an essay answering each question. To answer these questions, use Kemp Library, your text, and
appropriate internet sources. At least four of your sources, in addition to your text, should be scholarly
sources obtained from the library. Cite your sources in text and include a references page at the end. Format
the intext citations and references page according to APA style. The answers should show that you have
located and incorporated appropriate, up to date sources, that you have read and understood those sources, and
have used APA correctly. The writing will be evaluated. The essays will be evaluated for the use of correct
grammar and sentence structure.
THE ANSWERS TO EACH QUESTION WILL BE ASSESSED USING THE FOLLOWING RUBRIC:
(each answer is worth 16.6 points)
1. Correctly used APA format
2. The answers demonstrate a complete and accurate understanding of participatory action research
(PAR).
3. Each answer is thorough and shows critical thinking as well as utilization of the text and appropriate
sources
4. The answers are well-written.
5. It is apparent that the student read and understood the sources s/he cited.
6. The student used a minimum of four scholarly sources and the textbook to answer these questions.
