School of Social Work faculty members Ross VeLure Roholt and Michael Baizerman and University of Minnesota Ph.D. graduate Roudy W. Hildreth have published a new book, Civic Youth Work: Co-Creating Democratic Youth Spaces.
The book introduces the concept of co-creation as a way to better organize and support youth in their contribution to public life. The authors view youth as not just a developmental stage, but as a time to begin participating in the community as citizens. Youth collaborate with youth workers to create and sustain safe spaces for civic engagement.
The book features case studies that show how civic youth workers in many countries have mobilized and empowered young people to address the public issues most affecting them. From developing strategies for conflict reduction in Africa, to mending religious division in Northern Ireland, the examples show how to coordinate, support, and manage programs with young people to effect positive change.
“The theoretical, value-based, and practical ideas contained within this text will appeal to both academics and practitioners alike. This is a timely book, forward thinking in its reframing of old ideas about how we view youth,” reviewer Heather Sanrud of Vancouver Island University, said.
