Youth Led Democratic Innovation (YLDI)

YLDI is a framework developed by Apathy is Boring aiming to redefine the way we view civic participation, especially when it comes to  young people. This workshop focuses on how to use the YLDI framework to help you find solutions for youth outreach. The workshop will begin with a presentation walking you through the shifting landscape of youth participation, with the intention of  getting to the heart of what matters to them, what they are looking for in order to be engaged, and why they aren’t finding it in today’s democratic institutions. We will then dive into learning more about the meaning of the framework, and how it applies to restructuring organizations and redefining civic engagement. This innovative framework will lead to finding solutions together to a problem you will have identified. 

How can we leverage this innovative framework to help YOU engage young people? Youth are looking for meaningful interactions and ways to have concrete impact on projects and spaces they show up in. The creation of these spaces would also benefit from their feedback and unique perspective. This workshop revolves around data we’ve gathered from our own very successful youth engagement program, RISE. These best practices will help you develop a critical lens when evaluating other areas of your work and asking yourself whether they are, indeed, youth friendly.

Intentional Interactions

Are you having trouble connecting and communicating with youth? Young people are seeking meaningful interactions with a mission or purpose - and they have much to contribute. If you're finding it difficult to get your message across to Millennials and Gen-Zers, you may need to re-evaluate your communication strategy and figure out what's preventing youth from connecting with your work.

Intentional Interactions is a workshop designed to help you tackle your communication challenges. From understanding the latest social media platforms, content curation and tone development to building on-the-ground outreach strategies, this workshop will help you connect your mission and vision to your audience in ways that are appealing to today’s youth. We will also help you understand Millennial and Gen-Z values, and what these generations are looking for by committing their time and efforts to a cause. These values will help guide your messaging, and ensure that your communications are catering to their needs.

Insert Youth Here

Confronting the “youth only belong in ____” narrative is pivotal in transforming our society. We genuinely believe that young people belong in any space where decisions that impact them or their future are being made. And that means, their perspectives and input should be inserted, well, everywhere.

Innate problem-solvers and innovators, young people are wired to adapt, and bring their unique lens to any table where decisions are being made. Unbeknownst to many, their insight is what makes the difference between where your organization is today, and where it ultimately has the potential to be tomorrow.

This workshop offers a 90-minute presentation that touches on:

• Understanding our brains: Youth cognitive development and how it relates to innovation potential. 

• Institutional Engagement: Exploring the landscape of youth relationship to government and our political process. 

• Barriers: Understanding how limiting beliefs and broader narratives can define our engagement potential and realizing the importance of approaching youth engagement through the lens of anti-oppression and intersectionality

• Recommendations: Creating meaningful engagement opportunities for youth.

The co-designed collaborative session that follows the presentation is focused on coming up with measurable action items your organization can take based on our analysis of how the different teachings of the presentation apply to issues identified in your work.