Youth Activism Workshops
Youth Activism Workshops
Workshop One: Centering immigrant youth voices in community based participatory research
Lead by Alison Kuah, The Welcome Project
What will you learn?
Workshop Description:
This workshop will look at the ways which immigrant youth are engaged and advocating for change in their community. As part of the Welcome Project's Liaison Interpreters Program Somerville (LIPS), bilingual immigrant youth are taught the skills needed for community interpretation as a means of showing students the ways in which language can be used to isolate and exclude certain groups. The sharing of these skills and knowledge form the backbone for youth identifying and initiating projects that address specific problems in their community. In this workshop, participants will learn how to center immigrant youth voices and support youth in their project initiatives.
Speaker Bio:
Alison Kuah has been the Youth Programs Coordinator at the Welcome Project for a year, a position she held while completing my degree in Anthropology at Tufts University. Her work includes community organizing as part of the Welcome Project's new strategic direction that includes organizing communities of immigrants. In my free time, Alison teaches fitness classes, learn self-defense, and makes sure she’s always learning new things!
Lead by Alison Kuah, The Welcome Project
What will you learn?
- Participants will learn how to center immigrant youth voices in CBPR
- Participants will learn how to support youth in Community-Based research practices
- Participants will learn about shared leadership and its implementation in youth-led projects
Workshop Description:
This workshop will look at the ways which immigrant youth are engaged and advocating for change in their community. As part of the Welcome Project's Liaison Interpreters Program Somerville (LIPS), bilingual immigrant youth are taught the skills needed for community interpretation as a means of showing students the ways in which language can be used to isolate and exclude certain groups. The sharing of these skills and knowledge form the backbone for youth identifying and initiating projects that address specific problems in their community. In this workshop, participants will learn how to center immigrant youth voices and support youth in their project initiatives.
Speaker Bio:
Alison Kuah has been the Youth Programs Coordinator at the Welcome Project for a year, a position she held while completing my degree in Anthropology at Tufts University. Her work includes community organizing as part of the Welcome Project's new strategic direction that includes organizing communities of immigrants. In my free time, Alison teaches fitness classes, learn self-defense, and makes sure she’s always learning new things!
Workshop Two: Making Research Work for Us: Integrating Youth Participatory Action Research and Storytelling Techniques
Lead by the OPEN Project
What will you learn?
Workshop Description:
Participants will learn the basics of Youth Participatory Action Research and storytelling through experiential small group work. Issues that are impacting participants' home communities will form the basis for the work that will happen in small teams. As a group, participants will work together to develop research questions that address specific issues, create templates for focus groups and interviews, and brainstorm how to best use storytelling techniques to influence and/or build partnerships with local decision makers and community members. At the end, everyone will leave with a concrete research framework they can use to start their own projects and/or integrate into work that is already being done.
Speaker Bio:
The OPEN Project is a group of 15 -20 high school students based in Portland, Maine who work together to strengthen their community. They have been working together for 2 years on projects that are based on issues they see and want to address in their schools, neighborhoods, and local government systems. This past year, they've integrated Youth Participatory Action Research and storytelling for change techniques in their work to help make the Portland Public School system more equitable for multilingual students. OPEN members conducted focus groups and interviews with multilingual high school students as well as school administrators over the past 6 months, and this fall, they plan to bring 2-3 solutions to the school board in order to identify opportunities for partnership and system level change.
Lead by the OPEN Project
What will you learn?
- How to use participatory action research tools (focus groups and interviews) to collect data on specific issues impacting participants' communities
- How using a narrative arc that transforms data into a storytelling framework can be leveraged to reach specific audiences (decision makers, the public, community organizations)
- Participants will take home cards that outline the steps needed to carry out a YPAR Project as wells as steps to building a narrative arc that integrates YPAR data collection techniques (focus groups, interviews, surveys)
Workshop Description:
Participants will learn the basics of Youth Participatory Action Research and storytelling through experiential small group work. Issues that are impacting participants' home communities will form the basis for the work that will happen in small teams. As a group, participants will work together to develop research questions that address specific issues, create templates for focus groups and interviews, and brainstorm how to best use storytelling techniques to influence and/or build partnerships with local decision makers and community members. At the end, everyone will leave with a concrete research framework they can use to start their own projects and/or integrate into work that is already being done.
Speaker Bio:
The OPEN Project is a group of 15 -20 high school students based in Portland, Maine who work together to strengthen their community. They have been working together for 2 years on projects that are based on issues they see and want to address in their schools, neighborhoods, and local government systems. This past year, they've integrated Youth Participatory Action Research and storytelling for change techniques in their work to help make the Portland Public School system more equitable for multilingual students. OPEN members conducted focus groups and interviews with multilingual high school students as well as school administrators over the past 6 months, and this fall, they plan to bring 2-3 solutions to the school board in order to identify opportunities for partnership and system level change.
Workshop Three: Developing the Maine Emerging Environmental Changemakers Network; an Intergenerational Maine-based Youth Empowerment Effort to Build a More Just and Equitable Environmental Sector
Lead by Olivia Griset, Stefan Jackson, Anna Sommo, Chloe Maxmin, Kendra Dawsey, Alyssa Thompson from the Maine Emerging Environmental Changemaker’s Network
What will you learn?
Workshop Description:
An intergeneration team of presenters will share key lessons learned from their collective work building a new youth environmental empowerment network in Maine. Participants will explore the Maine Environmental Education Association’s theory of change amd how individual change-makers involved have grown on both personal and professional levels. Participants will answer: “Why care about empowering young environmental change-makers and, why is it critical that our conversations center around justice, equity, and building a more inclusive environmental and conservation movement?” Youth presenters will explain specific techniques they implemented that resulted in productive dialogue across difference - effectively leveling the power dynamic across age. Participants will leave with increased knowledge, and inspired to host similar youth co-planned and youth co-facilitated gatherings in your home communities!
Speaker Bios:
Olivia Griset: BS Utah State University, Logan UT; M.Ed University of Southern Maine, Portland ME Olivia has been serving on the board of directors with the Maine Environmental Education Association for the past 9 years and President of the board for the past 2.5 years. She is a cofounder of MEEA’s Emerging Environmental Changemakers Network. Olivia also serves on the Affiliate Steering Committee for the North American Association for Environmental Education where she works to help secure and grow the field of environmental education. Olivia is passionate about building a more inclusive environment and conservation sector. In her free time she enjoys exploring gorgeous Maine via foot, bike, boat or skis with her husband Todd and two young daughters Lucy and Charlotte.
Stefan Jackson: Amherst College, Amherst MA; The Law School at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA; NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School), Lander, Wyoming. For over thirty years a consultant, developer, implementer for programs, projects, and organizations regarding matters of diversity, inclusion and equity in the crossroads of nature conservation, environmental and community justice, education, and human development. Professional mediation practice, which includes work for Maine’s Judicial Branch. On the Boards of NOLS and MEEA; Steering Committee Member for Maine Outdoor Coalition; Advisor for the People of Color Fund held at the Maine Community Foundation. Hiking, walking, running, climbing, swimming, body-surfing, skiing, biking, sailing, sky-diving, woodworking, building - some of the many ways I enjoy life now mostly here in Maine with my spouse Laura and two daughters Stefanie and Jacqueline.
Anna Sommo: Colby College, Waterville Maine, Anna currently works as the Youth Programs Director at Cultivating Community in Portland Maine. Anna is a cofounder of the Maine Emerging Environmental Changemaker’s Network. Anna is passionate about building a more just food system in Maine and works to bridge agriculture and environmental education. Anna is passionate about building a more just and inclusive Maine.
Chloe Maxmin: Harvard University, Cambridge MA. Chloe is a climate justice advocate who grew up in rural Maine and has been organizing since she was 12 years old. Chloe cofounded Divest Harvard and helped grow that movement from a group of 3 students to a group of over 70,000. She has been a youth organizer helping MEEA launch our Emerging Changemakers Network from initial stages and has been very involved in our current work with the Center for Diversity and the Environment re-imagining our organization with justice and equity as central to everything we do. Chloe is a writer for The Nation and is the founder of First Here, Then Everywhere an online hub connecting youth climate justice activists from around the world.
Kendra Dawsey: Yale University, New Haven CT. Kendra has been an Emerging
Environmental Changemaker Youth organizer, helping to build the network from the initial stages. Kendra was a Food Corps volunteer at Common Ground High School in New Haven CT. She has helped present about MEEA’s youth empowerment work at the NAAEE national conference last year in Madison Wisconsin. Kendra is passionate about the intersections of social justice and environmental justice and equity. In her free time Kendra is also a stand up comedian.
Alyssa Thompson: Recent graduate Monmouth Academy, Monmouth ME Alyssa started organizing at 15 years old. Alyssa was the youngest person helping to design and build the Emerging Changemakers Network. Alyssa is a committed environmental and social justice activist. Alyssa works for the Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed. Alyssa has helped organize the Maine Young Activists Gathering, volunteers with Pine Tree Youth Organizing, is part of the Maine Students for Climate Justice, and spends her free time...organizing!
Lead by Olivia Griset, Stefan Jackson, Anna Sommo, Chloe Maxmin, Kendra Dawsey, Alyssa Thompson from the Maine Emerging Environmental Changemaker’s Network
What will you learn?
- Why empowering young environmental change-makers from diverse backgrounds and connecting them with their peers and mentors is critical to the future of the environmental movement.
- Ideas (collectively generated) to overcome barriers to better empower youth environmental change-makers from diverse backgrounds in Maine.
- Activities youth organizers have planned and facilitated that, across difference in the environmental sector, have quickly brought intergenerational groups together in productive dialogue.
- Techniques to level power dynamics across age in intergenerational groups; event planning designed for more than extroverts.
Workshop Description:
An intergeneration team of presenters will share key lessons learned from their collective work building a new youth environmental empowerment network in Maine. Participants will explore the Maine Environmental Education Association’s theory of change amd how individual change-makers involved have grown on both personal and professional levels. Participants will answer: “Why care about empowering young environmental change-makers and, why is it critical that our conversations center around justice, equity, and building a more inclusive environmental and conservation movement?” Youth presenters will explain specific techniques they implemented that resulted in productive dialogue across difference - effectively leveling the power dynamic across age. Participants will leave with increased knowledge, and inspired to host similar youth co-planned and youth co-facilitated gatherings in your home communities!
Speaker Bios:
Olivia Griset: BS Utah State University, Logan UT; M.Ed University of Southern Maine, Portland ME Olivia has been serving on the board of directors with the Maine Environmental Education Association for the past 9 years and President of the board for the past 2.5 years. She is a cofounder of MEEA’s Emerging Environmental Changemakers Network. Olivia also serves on the Affiliate Steering Committee for the North American Association for Environmental Education where she works to help secure and grow the field of environmental education. Olivia is passionate about building a more inclusive environment and conservation sector. In her free time she enjoys exploring gorgeous Maine via foot, bike, boat or skis with her husband Todd and two young daughters Lucy and Charlotte.
Stefan Jackson: Amherst College, Amherst MA; The Law School at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA; NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School), Lander, Wyoming. For over thirty years a consultant, developer, implementer for programs, projects, and organizations regarding matters of diversity, inclusion and equity in the crossroads of nature conservation, environmental and community justice, education, and human development. Professional mediation practice, which includes work for Maine’s Judicial Branch. On the Boards of NOLS and MEEA; Steering Committee Member for Maine Outdoor Coalition; Advisor for the People of Color Fund held at the Maine Community Foundation. Hiking, walking, running, climbing, swimming, body-surfing, skiing, biking, sailing, sky-diving, woodworking, building - some of the many ways I enjoy life now mostly here in Maine with my spouse Laura and two daughters Stefanie and Jacqueline.
Anna Sommo: Colby College, Waterville Maine, Anna currently works as the Youth Programs Director at Cultivating Community in Portland Maine. Anna is a cofounder of the Maine Emerging Environmental Changemaker’s Network. Anna is passionate about building a more just food system in Maine and works to bridge agriculture and environmental education. Anna is passionate about building a more just and inclusive Maine.
Chloe Maxmin: Harvard University, Cambridge MA. Chloe is a climate justice advocate who grew up in rural Maine and has been organizing since she was 12 years old. Chloe cofounded Divest Harvard and helped grow that movement from a group of 3 students to a group of over 70,000. She has been a youth organizer helping MEEA launch our Emerging Changemakers Network from initial stages and has been very involved in our current work with the Center for Diversity and the Environment re-imagining our organization with justice and equity as central to everything we do. Chloe is a writer for The Nation and is the founder of First Here, Then Everywhere an online hub connecting youth climate justice activists from around the world.
Kendra Dawsey: Yale University, New Haven CT. Kendra has been an Emerging
Environmental Changemaker Youth organizer, helping to build the network from the initial stages. Kendra was a Food Corps volunteer at Common Ground High School in New Haven CT. She has helped present about MEEA’s youth empowerment work at the NAAEE national conference last year in Madison Wisconsin. Kendra is passionate about the intersections of social justice and environmental justice and equity. In her free time Kendra is also a stand up comedian.
Alyssa Thompson: Recent graduate Monmouth Academy, Monmouth ME Alyssa started organizing at 15 years old. Alyssa was the youngest person helping to design and build the Emerging Changemakers Network. Alyssa is a committed environmental and social justice activist. Alyssa works for the Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed. Alyssa has helped organize the Maine Young Activists Gathering, volunteers with Pine Tree Youth Organizing, is part of the Maine Students for Climate Justice, and spends her free time...organizing!
Workshop Four: Creating Leaders, Strategy, and Ripples & Building Student Power and Winning Elections
Lead by Griffin Sinclair-Wingate (350NH) & Dylan Carney (Student Action)
What will you learn?
Workshop Description:
To change everything we need everyone. So how do we bring new people into our organizations and make sure that the work they're doing is meaningful? This workshop will cover how to recruit and retain new members, how to develop strategic projects using goals, strategy and tactics, and how to use traditional and social media to amplify the impacts of your accomplishments. Come learn how to turn student power into electoral organizing and we can win serious elections across the board.
Speaker Bio:
Griffin Sinclair-Wingate first got involved in organizing in high school where he organized meet ups for youth around NH to talk about the culture of apathy that exists in high schools. Griffin attended the University of New Hampshire where he organized around issues ranging from fossil fuel divestment to money in politics. Griffin works as the Volunteer Manager at 350NH. In his spare time he enjoy playing guitar, hiking and fighting systems of oppression.
Dylan Carney is student organizer with Student Action. He has been organizing for 3 years now; from Divestment campaigns, Electoral Organizing on college campuses with 350 Action and community organizing in Lancaster Pennsylvania around ant-pipeline work. Dylan likes to fly fish, frisbee golf, cook and see cheap concerts in my free time.
Lead by Griffin Sinclair-Wingate (350NH) & Dylan Carney (Student Action)
What will you learn?
- The Act Recruit Train Cycle- This framework will leave participants with a clear strategy to bring new people into their work and develop the leadership potential of new members.
- Campaign Planning- Basic campaign planning will leave the participants with an understanding of how to set smart goals, how to decide on a strategy to achieve those goals, and what tactics can be used to execute their strategy.
- Amplifying Your Accomplishments- Through discussing tips and tricks for utilizing both traditional and social media participants will leave with a better understanding of how their work can create a ripple effect."
- The importance of organizing students and young people around elections
Workshop Description:
To change everything we need everyone. So how do we bring new people into our organizations and make sure that the work they're doing is meaningful? This workshop will cover how to recruit and retain new members, how to develop strategic projects using goals, strategy and tactics, and how to use traditional and social media to amplify the impacts of your accomplishments. Come learn how to turn student power into electoral organizing and we can win serious elections across the board.
Speaker Bio:
Griffin Sinclair-Wingate first got involved in organizing in high school where he organized meet ups for youth around NH to talk about the culture of apathy that exists in high schools. Griffin attended the University of New Hampshire where he organized around issues ranging from fossil fuel divestment to money in politics. Griffin works as the Volunteer Manager at 350NH. In his spare time he enjoy playing guitar, hiking and fighting systems of oppression.
Dylan Carney is student organizer with Student Action. He has been organizing for 3 years now; from Divestment campaigns, Electoral Organizing on college campuses with 350 Action and community organizing in Lancaster Pennsylvania around ant-pipeline work. Dylan likes to fly fish, frisbee golf, cook and see cheap concerts in my free time.
Workshop Four: Student-Led, Zero Waste Initiatives
Speaker: Faye Christoforo, Post-Landfill Action Network
What will you learn?
A deeper knowledge of the waste crisis and the factors that have created this problem
The understanding that this issue is essentially solvable
Tools and a vision for taking action
Workshop Description:
This session will start by explaining the waste crisis. What is the problem, how did it happen and what are the ways we can start to solve it. We will then go into examples from campuses across the country and show how power has grown and evolved in the last five years. Students will leave this session knowing that they are not alone in wanting to solve this. Having a better understanding of the intersectional factors that have created the waste crisis. And starting to develop ideas of how they can start addressing waste on their own campuses.
Speaker Bio:
Faye Christoforo is the Co-Director of the Post-Landfill Action Network. An organization providing training and resources to campuses and students across the country to solve waste in their communities. Faye graduated from Earlham College with a degree in Sociology and Anthropology and an honors thesis on Trash. At Earlham she was a founder of the EC Free Store and her school’s Responsible Energy Investment Campaign. Faye studied abroad in India, Tanzania, New Zealand, Guatemala and Mexico, where she researched waste management systems.
Speaker: Faye Christoforo, Post-Landfill Action Network
What will you learn?
A deeper knowledge of the waste crisis and the factors that have created this problem
The understanding that this issue is essentially solvable
Tools and a vision for taking action
Workshop Description:
This session will start by explaining the waste crisis. What is the problem, how did it happen and what are the ways we can start to solve it. We will then go into examples from campuses across the country and show how power has grown and evolved in the last five years. Students will leave this session knowing that they are not alone in wanting to solve this. Having a better understanding of the intersectional factors that have created the waste crisis. And starting to develop ideas of how they can start addressing waste on their own campuses.
Speaker Bio:
Faye Christoforo is the Co-Director of the Post-Landfill Action Network. An organization providing training and resources to campuses and students across the country to solve waste in their communities. Faye graduated from Earlham College with a degree in Sociology and Anthropology and an honors thesis on Trash. At Earlham she was a founder of the EC Free Store and her school’s Responsible Energy Investment Campaign. Faye studied abroad in India, Tanzania, New Zealand, Guatemala and Mexico, where she researched waste management systems.