Turning the Tables: My experience in AYD training from Youthworker to Co-Facilitator

I graduated AYD in the Spring of 2008 with about 25 other youth workers, most of whom I had never met before but now consider friends and colleagues that are part of a growing network of folks dedicated to young people, justice, and resistance against ageism and all other -isms that affect our young people.

Youth workers work hard and its often difficult to find the time to connect with each other. Despite the fact our kids are connected through experiences, schools, facebook groups, sports teams, neighborhoods and other kinds of formal and informal networks, we haven't yet built those same connections amongst ourselves as youth workers. As a new kid on the block in Montgomery County 2 year ago, AYD was the nexus of those connections for me, both because it brought us together but also because it gave us an opportunity to grow together through the activities, honest talk, and sharing.

This past Friday, I facilitated a session of AYD that addressed levels of youth participation and youth power within organizations. This section is always a stinger because it forces us to lay our privileges and assumptions on the table but its that same process of exposure that helps us to build a stronger practice based on shared values, expectations & competencies. As we "professionalize" the practice we build modes of working, thinking, and acting, that highlight outdated practices and highlight the dedication of those that live the practice day and night, every day, because we understand that we need young people and that we have to do better for them.