Maine Keeping Maine's Children Connected - Youth Advisory Committee

kmcc

Keeping Maine’s Children Connected (KMCC) is looking for youth who can bring a youth voice to the initiative and provide key direction and input. KMCC realizes the value of the youth perspective on issues relating to youth- specifically those who have experienced an educational disruption. This is a great opportunity for youth to gain leadership experience and learn about self-advocacy and advocating for various issues.

Youth interested in helping to start up and co-facilitate a Get Connected Youth Advisory Committee should have an interest in promoting success for any youth that has experienced a disruption in their educational program due to homelessness, foster care placement, correctional facility placement, high mobility and/or in patient psychiatric care.

In addition, a Youth Advisory Committee Co-Facilitator should demonstrate:

Leadership potential and developed/developing peer social skills in order to convey the initiative’s message and be considerate of other’s input and relay this input effectively
Availability after school or evenings for meetings
Ability to work with adults
Determination, the ability to make a commitment and follow through
Energy and passion for ensuring that all youth receive the education they deserve

Position Title: Get Connected Youth Advisory Committee Co-Facilitator
Time Commitment: 1.5 hour meetings, held monthly throughout the school year and additional planning time before each meeting (approx 1 hour)

Stipend: available

Key Responsibilities:

Help define and promote KMCC to youth
Work under the direction of the KMCC Committee
Provide input and unique perspective to KMCC work
Promote awareness within their community of KMCC
Recruit youth members

If you know someone who may be interested or you are interested in this position, please contact Jessica Siraco, Program Manager at KMCC at 822-0279, or Jessica.Siraco@Maine.Gov

YAC Youth Participation Structure: Youth/Adult partnership-(youth co-facilitator)

Shared responsibility (plan, organize facilitate)
Shared decision making –negotiate differences
Meaningful roles based on interests and skills
High level of leadership development and skill building

Benefits of Youth Leadership for Youth:

Gain skills needed to become successful adults
Create new relationships with adults and peers further connecting them to their community and enlarging their support network
Better understanding of the community and its diversity
Feeling enhanced power, autonomy and self-esteem
Acquiring a more positive stature in their community
Developing self advocacy skills and leadership skills

Benefits of Youth Leadership for Adults

Feeling of a stronger connection with the youth KMCC serves
Gaining a better understanding of the needs of youth
Expanded resource base

What we mean when we say facilitation:

Facilitation is the role that a person (youth or adult) can play to help get the members of the group to participate. The facilitator:

Helps groups arrive at decisions

Acts as an assistant or guide (not controlling)

Concerned about the decision making process

Help the group “gel” -come together as a community

Some material adapted from: Engaging Youth: A How-To Guide for Creating Opportunities for Young People to Participate, Lead and Succeed

Reach: Connecting Communities and Youth for a Healthy Future, a program of Sierra Health Foundation and The Youth Services Provider Network January 2006

Keeping Maine's Children Connected Information