National Panel Launches Initiative on Youth Contributions

Leading researchers assembled in Minnesota on Aug. 13-15 to explore how to measure the many ways young people contribute to their communities and the nation.

"We have spent a lot of time measuring and reporting how young people fail," said one of the meeting hosts, NYLC CEO and President Jim Kielsmeier, pointing to widely publicized statistics on test scores, dropout rates, and juvenile justice. "It's high time we begin to recognize what tremendous resources young people are for our nation. So many of the contributions youth make are not nearly as visible as they deserve to be."

The Youth Contribution Indicators Summit, co-hosted by NYLC, Search Institute, the University of Minnesota's Extension Center for Youth Development and its International Center for Research on Community Engagement, brought experts together to clarify issues involved in measuring how youth contribute. Participants agreed that a successful indicators system must generate data that allows analysis and comparison across ages and settings, and at community, state, and national levels. This will enable the data to drive decision-making by influencing public policy and holding stakeholders accountable. It will also improve the public's understanding of how young people contribute, and offer youth the recognition, inspiration, and motivation to expand their contributions.

"Many youth feel discouraged to participate because they are viewed negatively by society — even by people in my parents' generation," said David Wehrwein, a participant to the summit's youth panel. "Sometimes youth are not even aware that they are contributing. Youth need to be recognized, and I think that this initiative will inspire even more youth to contribute and to be viewed in a positive light."

The group expects the release of a first version of the indicators in 2011.