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| Student protestors at UC Berkeley during the Free Speech Movement. Source: Daily Californian. |
India’s average age,
29, is more than a decade younger than the average ages in the USA, Europe, and
Japan, and more than 54% of the population is under the age of 25 (Government
of India Ministry of Skill Development). India is certainly not alone in the developing world as a
demographically young country, and this “youth bulge” offers both promise
and peril.
The World Bank Sourcebook on Development Communications
describes the development paradigm of “modernization theory” as one focused on
““modernizing” underdeveloped
countries—advising them how to be effective in following in the footsteps of richer,
more developed countries […] communication was associated with the
dissemination of information and messages aimed at modernizing “backward”
countries and their people […] communication initiatives relied heavily on the
traditional vertical one-way model: Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver (SMCR).”
Like developing nations seen through the lens of
modernization theory, young people are all too frequently seen as problems that
need solving, or, at best, passive recipients of improvements and activities “done
to,” rather than initiated by, them. But in a world of WhatsApp, YouTube,
Facebook, and Twitter, traditional one-way communications are not enough to
present a compelling narrative to youth. Instead, organizations need to engage
with students as community leaders, mobilizers, and sources of new ideas.
Here are three ideas for engaging youth.
Talk to them. The US non-profit organization Student
Voice had its humble origins in a weekly Twitter chat. Using the hashtag
#StuVoice, it invited students from around the world to contribute their
thoughts about their education—and what could be better. That Twitter chat eventually
attracted the attention of the head of the US Department of Education. Anyone
can start a Twitter chat (see
more on social media here).
If Twitter isn’t popular among youth in your area, you could also consider
mediums like Instagram (which many people used for their #SelfieWithDaughter)
or Snapchat, the free photo- and video-sharing application. There are also more
traditional ways to reach out to young people. Call Me Ishmael is a website that promotes reading by encouraging
viewers to call a phone number and leave a message with a story about a book they
love. You could try distributing a phone number to young people that allows them
to leave messages, or text using SMS or Whatsapp. It’s also worth trying in-person
visits to schools and youth clubs. Seeing students face-to-face may lay the
groundwork for future connections over social media or phone. When you talk to
youth, make sure that it’s not just one-way communication. Ask them questions about
what they think: what are some unaddressed needs in their community? How could
your organization serve them better?
Ask them to work for you. When were you most idealistic? Probably
your younger days: a time when internalized childhood lessons on following your
dreams and making the world a better place had not yet been tempered by the
real world’s discouragements. Development organizations need people who are
passionate, nimble, and able to contribute new ideas. Students check off those
boxes. And increasingly, students are seeking work experience while still in
school. Your organization doesn’t need a huge team in order to support an
internship program; you just need at least one person who can work with
students to define parameters for their role. Create specific deliverables and
encourage students who are highly motivated self-starters to apply. See more on internships here.
Bring them onboard as advisors. What do UN Habitat, Pearson Education,
and the Clinton Foundation have in common? They all have youth advisory boards.
Some student advisory boards, such as American insurance giant State Farm’s,
actually make decisions on disbursing company funds as grants to organizations.
Others, like Dell’s Youth Innovation Advisors, carry out mentoring and advocacy
initiatives. You don’t need to be a multinational corporation or foundation
with a former president’s last name attached to have students contributing to
your organization on an advisory board. Simply think of how a board could
contribute (assisting in decision-making? Brainstorming outreach programs? Some
combination of different areas?) and recruit students—possibly a past batch of
interns, or students who have been active in response to your social media
presence.
It’s high time
to see students as co-authors of the development story. Young people are hungry
for opportunities to make a difference, and bring a unique skillset that can
aid your organization. Will you welcome them onboard?
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