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COMMUNITY AND YOUTH LEADERSHIP WORKING TABLE

BACKGROUND

Community and youth leadership is one of three tables established by the Saskatchewan School^PLUS Leadership Institute; the other two tables being pre-service and in-service training.

The work of this table is supported by the Saskatchewan Educational Leadership Unit (SELU) at the University of Saskatchewan and the Research Center at the Saskatchewan School Boards Association under the auspices of the School^PLUS Research Consortium.

At the initial meeting of the Consortium potential outcomes for the Community and Youth Leadership Table were identified as:

· developing resources to assist community members and youth in fulfilling School^PLUS Leadership roles;

· linking School^PLUS leadership to current community and youth leadership training programs; and

· facilitating research to inform enhanced community and youth leadership.

A broad based committee was invited to the first meeting of the Community and Youth Leadership Table. Representatives from SELU and Saskatchewan School Boards Association served as co-chairs.

The consensus of the group was to focus on a process of asset mapping of current initiatives regarding community and youth leadership in Saskatchewan.

FOLLOW-UP

At the subsequent meeting of the Table the researcher presented a template which was to be used to gather information for the asset map. Much discussion was given to who may be considered a leader and what leadership should look like. The template was revised and sent to committee members who were then to supply a list of five possible contacts.

The third meeting of the Table was held in November, 2005 with a new researcher in attendance. From the discussion at this meeting it was deemed that youth engagement is a key characteristic and the Resource Directory cannot omit some programs because there is youth engagement, but not necessarily youth leadership. The committee also felt the template should reflect the notion that the basis for the Directory be the Effective Practices Framework of School^PLUS. The template was further revised and sent out to committee members.

GATHERING INFORMATION

The Community and Youth Leadership Template was widely circulated throughout the province to:

to all community schools through the cooperation of School^PLUS officials at The Department of Learning;
to all school principals through the executive of the Saskatchewan School Based Administrators Association;
to Recreation Boards through the Department of Culture, Youth and Recreation;
to School Councils through the executive of the Saskatchewan Association of School Councils;
to LEADS (League of Educational Administrators, Directors and Superintendents);
to all committee members; and
to a wide variety of other individuals, organizations and agencies.

BUILDING A RESOURCE DIRECTORY

Based on direction given by the committee of the Community and Youth Roundtable the initial design of the Directory evolved.

It is to be user friendly. The programs are presented to help people get started with contact names for further information.
The document is open-ended to allow for continuous development.
The Directory seeks to be inclusive. All programs involving community and youth engagement and leadership are included.
The broad range of programs is included from long established national or provincial programs to specific new school or community based programs.
A variety of descriptors are used to categorize the programs