Working At The Edge

Make School Different: Digital leadership & Transformation

Are we missing this key voice in the transformation conversation? 🤔

By

I have mixed thoughts about the World Economic Forum…I love some of their stuff, and then there is some that kind of falls short with a too narrow focus. 

That narrow focus of the economic/jobs context.

BUT…

…they recently released a number of resources on what young people see as the challenges facing society, government and business.

The Youth Recovery Plan outlines 40 policy recommendations in 10 areas—what they call pillars—of change youth desire.

  1. Conscious consumerism
  2. Digital access
  3. Digital illiteracy – tackling misinformation
  4. Democracy with a future
  5. Inclusive jobs and social safety net
  6. Mental healthcare
  7. Net Zero: Limit global warming to 1.5° C
  8. Next Generation ESG: Social Capitalism
  9. Equitable access to healthcare worldwide
  10. Public safety

Just reading through that list compelled me to ponder two things….

First, our governmental leaders…at all levels….local, state and federal….do not demographically represent the people they represent. 

Who’s rarely at the table….?

Young people…

So we have issues like the 10 listed above framed by a largely older (and whiter and male) population. And while I have no data to back this up…I’m going to guess that those same government officials do little to really get young people around the table and heard on issues that matter.

Second, in the education space, we need to do a much more intentional job of engaging our youth on the topic of transforming education.

Yes, we invite them to focus groups…we get feedback from them in our learner-centered classrooms and we even have non-voting “representation” on boards..

But is that just tokenism?

It’s rare to see youth at the table where there are high level conversation…..

Where state boards of education are making policy….

Where state legislatures are making policy…

Where local school boards are making policy…

Where superintendents and principals are designing programs….

Where teachers are taking part in professional development….

Engaging the youth more fully in this work is probably one of the greatest pieces we are missing…they can tell the new story better than we adults alone.

—–

âť“ Provocations:

How can we engage youth more authentically and consistently in our efforts to transform schooling? What’s holding us back?

đź’Ž Resource:

Trailblazers Magazine – A Student-Driven Magazine on the Education Transformation Movement

🧠 Mindset:

Inventor

đź’ˇ Mindshift:

From youth tokenism to full youth engagement

📣 Drop your thoughts in the comments, or in the Facebook group, and feel free to share resources. 🔥🔥🔥

Randy Ziegenfuss
Follow me
Latest posts by Randy Ziegenfuss (see all)