Reflect: Our Overview

Youth workers have a responsibility to educate and inform others about the importance and impact of our work. Educating others is the first step in receiving societal recognition for our work as well as showcasing the high levels of satisfaction youth workers derive from their work.

Listen: What We've Heard from Youth Workers

"A lot of people look at us as babysitters, we need to get across the message that this is important work, you need to learn a lot of patience and skills to work with youth, many of my friends are all activists and they still don’t understand what I do." - From Youth Worker: Collective Feasiblity Study, 2007

From Youth Worker: Collective Feasibility Study, 2007:

• Many survey respondents expressed a feeling that Youth Development is not acknowledged as an important field.
• 77% of non-white respondents said they do not think Youth Development is perceived as important work.
• 50% of white respondents said they do not think Youth Development is perceived as important work.

Data from 2008 Youth Worker Survey:

Presentation about youth workers to other community members whose work affects Youth Development (teachers, principals, parents, social workers, funders, board members, etc.) to help them understand important role youth workers play in communities.

• 61.3% of respondents identified this event or activity as priority for the Youth Worker: Collective
• 47.5% of respondents identified this event or activity as important for the field of youth development
• 35.8% of respondents said they would participate in these activities or events

Further developing and distributing the We Are Youth Workers Documentary

• 17.3% of respondents identified this event or activity as priority for the Youth Worker: Collective
• 7.9% of respondents identified this event or activity as important for the field of youth development
• 6.4% of respondents said they would participate in these activities or events

Networking events that are primarily social and allow you to get to know other youth workers.

• 52.0% of respondents identified this event or activity as priority for the Youth Worker: Collective
• 30.1% of respondents identified this event or activity as important for the field of youth development
• 39% of respondents said they would participate in these activities or events

Inquire: Others' that Shape Our Growth

Asian Mainstream Productions is a full spectrum production company open to talented individuals from every walk of life, with a special emphasis on the Asian community. Asian Mainstream Productions was instrumental in producing the We Are Youth Workers Documentary currently on our front page. They provided the production talent to make telling the stories of youth workers possible. Their lead on this project led to the formation of the Youth Worker Documentary Project.

The International Documentary Challenge is a timed filmmaking competition where filmmaking teams from around the world have just five days to make a short documentary film. The Documentary Challenge is what originally inspired the Youth Worker: Collective to partner with Asian Mainstream Productions to produce The Art of Change, the documentary we created for submission. This film led to the creation of We Are Youth Workers. 

FowlerHoffman specializes in working with organizations that share our dreams and who are ready to make their work more visible, influential and far-reaching. FowlerHoffman helped craft the overall messaging for the "I am a youth worker because..." Campaign over three years ago. In 2007, they were instrumental in forming the central message of The Art of Change.

Connect: How We Are Exploring this Connection

Free Resources:

The Youth Worker Documentary Project is a collaboration of youth workers in Oakland dedicated to collecting and showcasing the voices and experiences of youth workers. We meet monthly to discuss and plan ways to collect these stories. Our first effort if The Red Carpet Festival. We will be launching our tool to collect and showcase youth worker stories at the event. Make sure to bring your camera or other video recording device (e.g. phones, iPods, etc)! To learn more, click here.

"I am a youth worker because..." Campaign is a photo campaign documenting why youth workers passions. It is our goal to bring a name, face, and purpose to the field of youth work. These messages are central to the way we operate and offer a glimpse into the stories and voices of youth workers. To get involved and to see some of the photos, click here.

We Are Youth Workers: Red Carpet Festival | June 11, 2009 | 7pm to 10pm | Laney College, Oakland, CA

 Fee-For-Service Offerings:

Community Events bring youth, youth workers, organizations and businesses together to create events that inspire hope and celebrate the community (6-month commitment minimum). Let us bring our brand of collaboration and resource sharing to your community by working with you and other community members to produce an event that meets all collaborative members' needs. We have a unique approach that is sure to bring abundance, gratitude, and inspiration.

 Dream: What We Want to See in the World

We dream of youth workers that are celebrated for their work and intentionality. We dream of messages everywhere that say youth development is important work.

Act: What We Are Accomplishing This Year

• Collect 20 “We Are Youth Workers” interviews - IN PROGRESS (Launches June 11, 2009!)
• Collect 200 more “I am a youth worker because…” photos - HAPPENING RIGHT NOW- Click here to make this happen!
  
• Create video(s)/PSA(s) that educate(s) general public on Youth Workers - IN PROGRESS
• Produce a collaborative We Are Youth Workers Event  - HAPPENING JUNE 10-12 - Click here to learn more!
• Create We Are Youth Workers Documentary Toolkit - GET YOURS on JUNE 11, 2009 - Click here to learn more!

Get Involved!

Get involved right away by participating in the "I am a youth worker because..." Campaign. Click here to participate now .

Become a Sponsor, Collaborator, or Supporter. Learn more by clicking here!

Have other ideas? Email people@ydpn.org to get learn more and get involved.