Youth Empowerment
Richard Trotta
Director of the Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility at Medford Public Schools
Empowering Our Youth
by Richard Trotta
Youth empowerment enables students to gain the skills, knowledge, confidence, and resources needed to take control of their lives, make informed decisions, become leaders, and actively participate in their communities and societies. It aims to create an environment where young individuals feel valued, capable, and responsible for driving positive change in their lives and the world around them. To empower students, we need to create an effective learning experience that includes an instructional plan and a multifaceted methodology to develop student leaders who work to make the world a better place.
Instructional Process Sequence
Create the project - select an issue or concern and design a plan for the project to address it.
Expected learning – determine the criteria to assess the value and impact of the project.
Complete the project – implement the plan
Assess the project – rubric or another assessment tool
Analyze the results – determine what worked
Multifaceted Methodology
Engagement:
A critical factor in the teaching-learning process is the degree of student engagement. Student engagement refers to the amount of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion students experience in the learning process, which extends to the motivation they need to learn and progress in their education and life.
According to the National Association of Independent Schools, student engagement involves learning activities that effectively engage students and can have a powerful impact on attaining desired learning outcomes.
Project-Based Learning:
Project-based learning (PBL) is a teaching method that allows students to apply their skills and knowledge to address real-world problems. It combines authentic learning with a student-centered approach to increase student engagement and interest. PBL involves students actively working and learning throughout the process of completing the project. It not only allows for a more profound knowledge of content but also improves cognitive functioning and social skills (Stepien, Gallagher, & Workman, 1993), including critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication (Permanasari, Firman, Riandi, & Hamidah, 2017). PBL helps students develop a deeper understanding of social issues by actively engaging with them and connecting to their experiences.
Creating and implementing a project that addresses a social problem can give students a sense of purpose and meaning that they believe will positively impact society.
PBL allows for a more profound knowledge of content and improves cognitive functioning and social skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication (Permanasari, Firman, Riandi, & Hamidah, 2017). The results of a study that compared the traditional teaching model with project-based learning concluded that project-based learning significantly improved students' learning outcomes and positively contributed to academic achievement, affective attitudes, and thinking skills, especially academic achievement. (Frontiers in Psychology, 2023, Study of the impact of project-based learning on student learning effects: a meta-analysis study by Lu Zhang and Yan Ma). In 2011, a study by Wirkala and Kuhn (American Educational Research Journal) found that PBL was superior regarding long-term retention, skill development, and satisfaction of students and teachers, while traditional approaches were more effective for short-term retention as measured by standardized board exams.
Authentic Learning:
Authentic learning is an instructional approach that allows students to explore, discuss, and meaningfully construct concepts and relationships in contexts that involve real-world problems and projects relevant to them. Research has shown that students who have a personal connection to an issue are more likely to be engaged and active in an activity or project.
Group Learning:
Group learning, or cooperative learning, is a teaching method where students work together in groups (preferably 3-5) to create and implement a project. It can occur in various settings, including classrooms, outside of classrooms, virtually, and in the workplace. Group projects can also increase student motivation and engagement in the learning process. It is an active, social, contextual, engaging, and student-owned educational experience.
Mirror Neurons:
Mirror neurons are specialized brain cells that activate when a person acts and observes someone else acting – they mirror behavior and feelings. When someone observes an action, the mirror neurons in their brain activate as if they were performing it themselves. The activation helps people develop empathy and compassion by allowing them to understand how others are feeling instinctively. In addition, they enhance:
Summary
Research has shown that the combination of employing Engagement, Project-Based Learning, Authentic Learning, Group Learning, and Mirror Neurons has a powerful impact on the education of our young people. It improves academic performance as well as enhances critical thinking skills, teamwork and collaboration, leadership skills, compassion and empathy, communication skills, self-management, problem-solving, and decision-making. Perhaps most importantly, this combination enhances self-esteem and self-confidence, which are critical for personal growth and success in the modern world.