When you build flexibility into your sessions with Youth Partners, you will ensure the focus remains grounded in what resonates for them. This does not, however, mean abandoning your goals or learning objectives.
If you follow some of the recommendations in Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 of the Youth Voice Playbook, you will set up the best conditions for learning and collaboration based on your priorities.
“You should come prepared with a plan for the activities you intend to facilitate, how you’ll guide teens through them, and approximately how long you’ll want to spend on each one. Note questions that can be cut if time runs low. The session will likely go differently than you imagined, and so be responsive to what’s actually happening in the room.” - Youth Voice Playbook, Chapter 6.
You have permission to pivot away from your script if something else resonates more deeply with the Youth Partners participating.
Reference the following sections for specific activity and facilitation support.
Chapter 5, which describes how to create a well-designed session:
- Plan, but keep it only semi-structured: use open-ended questions and off-scripted follow up questions for deep probing
- Interactive activities like Card Sorts, Headlines, and Clint’s Circle may be useful for
- Keep it interactive and use multiple modalities for instructions and participation
Chapter 6 discusses the art of facilitation:
- Keep the lecturing and presentation to a minimum
- Be prepared to iterate on the fly
- Remember that youth are “Partners” and not just research participants