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Imagine attending a three-day conference and the final plenary session is a panel of high school and college students. Probably you expect to hear one inspiring speech that will help savor your flagging sense of optimism about the future when you return home. Such was the scene at the U.S. Forest Service’s Centennial Congress held in Washington, D.C. this past January. Not only did the youth panel bearing the title “Conservation Leaders: Today and Tomorrow” receive an enthusiastic reception it got a standing ovation.
The session opened with a seven-minute video that captured reactions of the six panelists between 16 to 24 years of age attending various events throughout the Centennial Congress. Pipa Elias, the principal choreographer and U.S. Forest Service intern on loan from the Student Conservation Association, wanted an unfiltered MTV “Real World” video. She urged the six young environmentalists to express their views, even shock the Delegates attending this historic convention.
Following the short video that Ms. Pelias edited on her Mac, each of the panelists delivered five-minute speeches. One of the high school speakers, John Vogel who serves on Earth Force’s national board of directors, said: “I implore the Forest Service to look toward youth education, involvement, and empowerment to solve its problems of the future.” One of the college students spoke of the disappearance of so many youth programs due to budget cuts. Jim Oftedal with the Central California Consortium, accustomed to collaborating with young people, served as skillful moderator, adding to the overall cohesive performance. For the finale, each of the panelists took turns reading portions of a compelling letter they drafted together:
Educate us! Involve us! Inform us! Although an anomaly among our peers we are asking that you increase educational opportunities to make our passions the norm. We ask that you trust us. By investing in us you will develop a lasting legacy that will care for the land and serve communities. Through active and flexible youth development and involvement programs you will soon create an educated, informed, and involved group of productive youth.
The Chief of the U.S. Forest Service remarked, “The panel was unbelievable!” (For additional information on this event, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/centennial) Here is a rundown of some of the preparatory activities that can make such a youth presentation at an adult conference exceed all expectations.
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Decide to put young people on center stage rather than adult representatives of youth-serving organizations |
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Collaborate with partner organizations that can identify some of their most articulate and passionate young activists who can wow the crowd |
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Show respect in conference planning meetings by viewing the youth panel as substantive and serious as any other presentation |
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Commit adequate staff for planning and coordination |
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Select one or two individuals who have rapport, credibility and smarts in working effectively with each of the youth presenters |
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Entrust these individuals to encourage the student presenters to speak their minds and be honest |
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Devote the necessary resources and budget (creating a short video, providing business cards for each of the speakers, etc.) |
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Select a moderator who is experienced in collaborating with young activists |
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Make sure there is plenty of time for the youth panelists and the moderator to get acquainted, exchange ideas and strategize together |
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Invite youth presenters to attend other conference events rather than being treated as outsiders or limited to the “youth track” |
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Videotape the presentation so it can be replayed to other audiences of all ages |
This closing event at the Centennial Congress demonstrates the importance of such presentations that inspire and spur adults to view young people as equal players in the public policy arena. Many more adults need to experience such ‘aha’ moments to reduce age segregation and realize 17-year-old Vogel’s vision: “One can get an intelligent decision from the public first by education of its youth, second, by involving their youthful enthusiasm, and last by allowing for their participation in the sometimes contentious debate.”
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