Youth Development Theory as Foundation for a Regional Theater Teen Council

EMERSON COLLEGEGRADUATE STUDIES

Using Youth Development Theory as the Foundation for aRegional Theater Teen Council

A Master’s Thesis

submitted by

Ann Gallo

to the Graduate Faculty of Emerson College

In partial fulfillment of the requirements forthe degree of

Master of Arts

in

Theatre Education

Emerson CollegeBoston, Massachusetts

December 2013

Abstract

Using Youth Development Theory as the Foundation for aRegional Theater Teen Council

by

Ann GalloEmerson College December 2013

Chair: Dr. Robert Colby

Most regional theater Education Departments in the United States rarely consider engaging their teenageconstituents beyond consumerism. Research in the Youth Development (YD) field points to teenagers benefitting from youth-centered participatory structures such as a Teen Council. Through the active application of YD principles, a regional theater Teen Council structure has the potential to empower teenagers with cognitive, personal and social skills. Rather than providing services to youth, theaters can actively and authentically engage youth as innovators, decision-makers and leaders by employing YD theory. This thesis examines three YD principles that are applicable to a Teen Council structure: Youth Participation (YP), Youth Empowerment (YE) and Youth/Adult Partnership (Y/AP). This is followed by a comprehensive assessment of nine active regional theater Teen Councils and the extant presence of YD theory. I conclude with a detailed manualfor implementing a regional theater Teen Council based on YD theory.

Table of Contents

Introduction ………………………………………………………………...

8

Youth Development ………………………………………………………..

10

Youth Participation ………………………………………………...

12

Youth Empowerment ………………………………………………

15

Youth/Adult Partnerships …………………………………………..

18

Youth Development Outcomes …………………………………….

20

The Presence of YD Theory in Regional Theater Teen

Councils ………………

23

YD Assessment Model for Regional Theater Teen

Councils ……... 24

Assessment Summary of Individual Theater Teen

Councils ……… 27

About Face Theatre Youth Task Force

…………………..... 27

Berkeley Repertory Theatre Teen Council

……………........ 30

Center Theatre Group Student Ambassador

Program ….......

33

Goodman Theatre Youth Arts Council

…………………...... 37

La Jolla Playhouse Student Board of Trustees

…………...... 39

Milwaukee Repertory Theater Teen Council

…………........ 42

Portland Center Stage Teen Council

……………………..... 45

Steppenwolf Theatre Company Young Adult

Council …......

47

Victory Gardens Theater Teen Arts Council

……………..... 49

Summary ................................................

............................................

52

Manual of

Implementation .........................................

..................................

54 YD

Review .................................................

......................................

54

Benefits of Teen

Council ................................................

.................

56

Youth

Benefits ...............................................

.......................

56

Adult

Benefits ...............................................

........................

57

Theater

Benefits ...............................................

.....................

58

Community

Benefits ...............................................

.............. 59

Implementing a

Council ................................................

...................

60

Teen Council Advisory

Committee ......................................

60

Conditions....................................

.........................................

61 Timeline of

Implementation ...............................

..................

64

Vision, Goals and

Objectives .............................................

... 65

Resources ..............................................

................................

68

Power ..................................................

..................................

69

Theater

Readiness ..............................................

...................

69

Recruiting .............................................

................................

72

Teen Council

Structure ..............................................

........... 78

Training ...............................................

..................................

83

Challenges .............................................

................................

85

Assessment .............................................

..............................

90

Funding ................................................

.................................

92

Conclusion .............................................

.......................................................

92

Works

Cited ..................................................

................................................

96

Appendix

A ......................................................

.............................................

114

Appendix

B ......................................................

..............................................

116

Appendix

C ......................................................

.............................................

117

8

Introduction

In the United States regional theaters play an

important role bringing theatre to our communities

through performance and education/outreach programs. A

small number of regional theaters have created Teen

Councils as a part of their education programming and

community outreach initiatives. These Councils are a

formal structure for teenagers who are passionate about

theater. The question is the degree of meaningful impact

these Teen Councils have on the youth participants.

Research in the field of Youth Development (YD)

indicates that teenagers benefit from youth-centered

participatory structures (Young Wisdom Project 16-21;

Martin et al. 11; Hamilton, Hamilton 17; Pittman et al.

6). YD promotes and supports the growth and empowerment

of young people. The potential outcomes for teenagers

who participate in YD-based structures are life-long and

include personal, cognitive, cultural and civic

competencies. These are reached through experiential

9

opportunities in a supportive and safe environment where

teenagers thrive and become dynamic healthy members of

society (Hamilton, Hamilton 7; Funders Collaborative 7;

Zeldin, Camino, Calvert 2002, 15-18).

Regional theaters are in a unique position to

contribute to YD in their respective communities by

providing teenagers with engaging YD experiences vis-à-

vis a Teen Council. There is no research on the degree

to which regional theaters actively employ YD theory.

This thesis will explore that relationship.

According to the 2012 Theatre Communications Group

Fact Sheet, there are approximately 1,782 not-for-profit

theaters in the United States. They are traditionally

tax-exempt organizations with annual operating budgets

ranging from a shoestring to over $5 million (Theatre

Communications Group Theatre Facts). A typical regional

theatre’s internal structure may include the following

departments: Artistic, Production, Administrative,

Marketing, Development and Education and/or Community

10

Outreach. It is within the Education Department that a

Teen Council would be found.

A Teen Council is identified as an organized group

of five to thirty young people whose ages range from

fourteen to twenty-three. Based on extensive research on

the Internet and the TCG web site, there are only nine

active Teen Councils out of the 1,782 (Theatre

Communications Group Theatre Facts; TCG Member) not-for-

profit professional US theaters. The list includes About

Face Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Center Theatre

Group, Goodman Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Portland

Center Stage, Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Victory

Gardens Theater. In my opinion, this is a

disappointingly low number of Teen Councils.

In this paper I will examine YD literature and

identify specific principles that should be the active

foundational theory when implementing a regional theater

Teen Council. I will then assess and identify the extent

to which these YD principles are represented in the nine

11

active Teen Councils by applying an assessment model of

essential attributes compiled from YD scholars and

successful youth-centered initiatives in the YD field.

The final section is a manual for theaters to use as a

resource when executing their own Teen Council

initiatives. This manual is based on a blend of existing

Teen Council best practices and essential Youth

Development principles: Youth Participation, Youth

Empowerment and Youth/Adult Partnerships. The goal for a

YD-based Teen Council is to impact the teen

participants’ cognitive, social and personal development

in order to support the establishment of a happy and

fulfilling life.

Youth Development

The theory of Youth Development (YD) is the

foundation for a regional theater Teen Council.

Effective YD is based on the principles that young

people require support, advice, and experiential

12

opportunities in order to achieve their full potential.

YD focuses on providing opportunities through which

young people develop life skills and a sense of

community thus aiding their transition into adulthood

(Gootman et al. 2; Dotterweich 1.1; Hamilton, Hamilton

3; Young Wisdom 9).

Contributors to the field of YD agree on

fundamental outcomes that prepare and empower teenagers

for their future. These outcomes include personal,

cognitive, and social competencies. These are also known

in the YD field as the Five Cs: “Competence, Confidence,

Character, Connections, and Contribution” (Hamilton,

Hamilton 3-19; Ledford et al. 3; Zeldin et al. 2003, 8-

9; Catalano et al. 103; Martin, et al 11; Zeldin et al.

2001, 8; Arnett 473; Pittman et al. 11; Dotterweich 57).

Specifically, Competence is gaining mastery of a skill,

being accountable and dependable. Confidence is to be

self-empowered. Character is to be compassionate and to

take responsibility while having a positive frame of

13

mind. Connection is to to belong to a community while

learning to interact and develop quality relationships

with peers, adults, family and co-workers. Last is

Contribution, to add value through meaningful input in

collaboration with others (Funders Coll. 12-13).

When YD succeeds, teenagers are actively engaged.

They are motivated having identified their passions, and

acquiring and mastering germane skills. This engagement

results from having access to a safe and supportive

space where teenagers are free to explore and identify

their personal goals (Norman 11).

One must not confuse YD with prevention strategies

that aim to minimize or mitigate at-risk behavior

(Zeldin, Price 8). While the minimization of at-risk

behavior may be an outcome of YD programs, it is not the

objective. Rather, YD is a pre-emptive methodology and

structure through which youth can grow and understand

who they are as individuals and community members. In

14

many cases, successful YD bypasses the need for

prevention.

Teen programs often function under the premise that

young people are vulnerable and require distractions and

protection. Adults feel entitled to power over teenagers

or have a protective mindset. This can lead to a form of

youth segregation. By over-protecting young people we

are preventing them from maturing and gaining invaluable

experiences (Freeman et al. 66; Zeldin, Camino, Mook

129; Zeldin, McDaniel, Topitzes 19-22; Zeldin, Camino

Calvert 2003 3). YD is an ecosystem that avoids such

stifling patterns and negative perceptions. The goal is

to acknowledge teenagers as resources with infinite

potential, not as victims or threats to themselves and

society (Catalano et al. 101).

YD is a sophisticated and fertile field. Since the

1980s (Zeldin, Camino, Calvert 2003, 4), coinciding with

the United Nations Treaty on the Rights of the Child

(Appendix A) researchers and practitioners across the

15

globe have divided the YD field into sub-sections. These

include Youth Participation, Youth Empowerment, Youth

Leadership, Youth Organizing and Youth/Adult

Partnerships, to name a few. I have identified Youth

Participation (YP), Youth Empowerment (YE) and

Youth/Adult Partnerships (Y/AP) as the essential

components for the fundamental design and implementation

of a successful regional theater Teen Council.

Youth Participation

Youth Participation (YP) is democratic engagement

that is inclusive, authentic and autonomous (Zeldin,

Petrokubi, MacNeil 3; Hamilton, Hamilton 366; Percy-

Smith, Thomas 131). In the context of a Youth Council,

participation is not a passive act. YP provides students

with opportunities to make choices, have and defend

viewpoints, and take action to achieve a goal.

Participation is the extent to which the voices, ideas,

and levels of decision-making are given to Teen Council

16

members. YP is a balance between youth agency and

shifting environmental structures that require mutual

respect between youth and adults (Hamilton, Hamilton

366; Percy-Smith, Thomas 20, 131; Checkoway, Richards-

Schuster 85-86; Warwick 324-325).

YP can be political. In addition to overcoming

internal resistance to YP, organizations must

acknowledge that ‘meaningful engagement’ is predicated

on the practical awareness of human rights, i.e., “…

equity, non-discrimination, participation,

accountability and best interests of the youth.” (Childs

Rights 7; Kirby et al. 7) Those involved in a Teen

Council will want to consider the extent to which these

factors will be a part of the council’s objective.

YP is one of the most important factors to consider

when devising a Teen Council. In the field of YD, Roger

Hart’s Ladder of Participation (Appendix B) is often the

standard from which a program’s initial level of

participation is identified. Hart’s chart articulates

17

the various degrees of participation starting with youth

as ‘window dressing’ to youth and adults sharing

decision-making. When undertaking a Teen Council

establishing a baseline level of youth participation is

invaluable (Percy-Smith, Thomas 159; Shier 114). It is

however, not the end point. As the council evolves so

will the level of participation.

Hart’s three lowest levels of participation,

“manipulation,” “decoration” and “tokenism” are

unfortunately where some youth-involved projects seem to

end (Fajerman, Treseder 6; Gurstein, et al 252, 262;

Zeldin, McDaniel, Topitzes, Calvert 16-18). The

subsequent levels on Hart’s Ladder indicate

incrementally greater and more genuine levels of youth

participation:

4. Assigned but informed

5. Consulted and informed

18

6. Adult-initiated, shared decisions with

youth

7. Youth-initiated and directed

8. Youth-initiated, shared decisions with

adults

Ultimately, the context, goals and resources of a

participatory initiative, in this case a Teen Council,

will determine the appropriate and most efficacious

level of participation (Sinclair, R. 109, 114).

When determining a level of Participation,

successful Teen Councils should reflect one of the two

highest levels of participation: “Youth-initiated and

Directed” or “Young People Initiated and Shared

Decisions with Adults.” Stakeholder’s voices must play a

critical role in the conversation on initiatives that

impact them directly (Zeldin, Camino, Calvert 2003, 3).

This is why youth-based initiatives must aim for the

highest level of participation.

19

The least successful Teen Councils fail because

they never move beyond “tokenism”– what is perceived to

be YP is only teenagers performing an adult agenda,

lacking meaningful youth engagement. It is merely a

feel-good opportunity for the adults involved. This is

not genuine participation (Freeman et al. 66; McNeish

191-192).

Some potential roles for Teen Council participants

at the highest levels of participation are advisor or

council for programming and policy decisions, lobbyist,

activist, governance/board member, service provider and

mentor. These roles may appear different from

traditional teen roles in a regional theater when in

fact they embody meaningful YP. A youth-centered Council

exists within an adult domain. As a result, there is

potential for teenagers to become passive recipients

rather than active agents (Kirby et al. 15-18; Percy-

Smith, Thomas 18). The challenge in achieving genuine YP

is “the transfer of power so that participants’ views

20

have real influence on decisions.” (McNeish 3). To avoid

the trap of passivity, the adults spearheading the Teen

Council must be willing to discuss, identify and apply

YP (Sinclair 106). A good place to begin is determining

a baseline level of participation that will serve the

context and goals of the Teen Council (Percy-Smith,

Thomas 18-20).

The most exciting part of YP in a Teen Council is

the process, and how the Five C outcomes will inform the

future. It is a dynamic, participatory journey that

requires unprecedented commitment from the adult

partners and parent organization. All parties involved

must re-examine the status quo and embrace a new level

of YP (Bernier 137-138).

Youth Empowerment

Youth Empowerment (YE) is a “theory of change”

(Morton, Montgomery 6). It is the outcome of a

participatory process through which an individual has

21

gained an understanding and mastery of issues that they

determine to be of the utmost importance (Zimmerman 583;

Bernier 140). In the context of a Teen Council,

empowerment is attained by those who have an affinity to

the theater environment. Through active engagement in a

regional theater, each council member has unfettered

opportunities to explore and ultimately master theater-

based skills.

The recommended conditions in which YE will succeed

include participants being given authority, autonomy and

opportunity. Teenagers will also need access to those

with influence and decision-making power. They will

require authentic support and collaboration including

power sharing with adults (Center for Teen Empowerment

N.p.). In addition, systems should be in place for

appeals and assessment. From a teenager’s point of view,

empowerment is developing an identity, having a sense of

purpose and being a part of something great within an

22

unconditional environment (Jennings et al. 32; Bernier

165; Zeldin, Price 9; Camino 16-17).

In a Teen Council, the challenges of YE are similar

to those of all YD theories. These can include

stereotyping, power sharing and adult facilitators’

limited knowledge of an approach like YD theory.

Additionally, young people, through no fault of their

own, wrongly believe their views and ideas are invalid,

rendering themselves powerless. All of these obstacles

can waste time and energy, resulting in empty and

unfulfilling experiences. If the proper conditions for

implementing a Teen Council are not in place, success

could be elusive. These challenges, however, are not

insurmountable. Through thorough preparation optimal

conditions can be provided allowing YE to emerge. These

conditions will be addressed in the Manual of

Implementation.

The potential outcomes of successful YE experiences

are similar to most other YP initiatives. These include

23

self-efficacy and enhanced self-esteem through the

acquisition of practical life skills. Research has

demonstrated that successful YE programs can result in a

high rate of positive social values and behavioral

outcomes amongst participating teens. These include

increased commitment to their communities, respect for

differences, and increases in school attendance. In the

future, successful YE will result in teenagers achieving

a deeper understanding and mastery of their passions

that will translate into reaching personal goals

(Catalano, et al 1010-115; Zeldin, McDaniel, Topitzes,

Calvert 8; Camino 12).

The benefits for an organization that embraces

YE/YD as identified by research, are varied. The local

community will observe their YD efforts and be

encouraged to accept teenagers as legitimate partners

with a goal of improving the quality of life.

Additionally, funders and supporters will identify the

theater as one that supports YD initiatives versus

24

merely providing services (Fajerman, Treseder 11;

Zeldin, McDanial, Topitzes, Calvert 8; Zimmerman 582).

Based on the limited number of existing regional theater

Teen Councils, it is uncommon for theaters to be

proactively inclusive and welcome teenagers as equal

partners. However, by embracing YD, organizations will

set an example for the community at large.

Youth Empowerment is compelling. If executed and

sustained there will be an overarching shift for both

the teenagers and adults involved. As Rothbauer writes

in Transforming Young Adult Services, “Young adults, like

adults, are both in a position of ‘becoming’ and of

‘being’, and one does not trump the other” (185). When

empowerment occurs it is not by accident. It requires

bravery, a vision and commitment to change.

Youth/Adult Partnerships

The final theory, Youth/Adult Partnerships (Y/AP),

is what I consider to be the appropriate youth/adult

25

relationship for a Teen Council. However, Y/AP remains

an illusive practice. The title itself is an oxymoron

for many adults. How is a partnership with teenagers

even remotely feasible? If an organization is willing to

embark on a Teen Council then Y/AP should be within the

realm of possibility.

The term “mutuality” (Murdock, Paterson, Gatmaitan 7)

reflects what I believe to be the essence of Y/AP. It is

the desire and ability for youth and adults to draw on

and respect each other’s strengths and expertise. This

requires a foundation of trust and authentic roles to

allow for the free exchange of ideas. The principle that

“the voices of youth and adults are reflected in all

decisions…” (Zeldin, Petrokubi, Camino 17) captures what

I feel needs to exist in a Teen Council structure. It is

not young people working in a vacuum with adult

gatekeepers rather it is the rich conversations between

the youth and adults that will inform the process and

26

outcomes (Murdock, Paterson, Lee, Gatmaitan 18-21;

Zeldin, Petrokubi, Camino 7-8).

Research in Y/AP makes it clear that for Y/AP to

succeed, training for both adult and youth participants

is necessary (Murdock et al. 20, Camino 18). Adults must

be informed on Youth Development principles and

introduced to skills for partnering with youths. The

underlying objective for adults is to “foster” youth

skills, not command or teach. Y/AP requires power and

insecurities to be checked at the door. Training for

young people is less holistic and more practical. The

council members will need an introduction to basic

communication and organizational skills. They will also

need to understand the theater’s organizational

structure and political life. Applying these tools over

time through hands-on experiences will build their tool-

chests for the future.

From an organization’s point of view a Teen Council

based on YD principles can be perceived as invasive and

27

a “challenge to the present order” (Zeldin, Camino, Mook

123). To overcome this challenge it is recommended that

youth participants be well informed of existing

organizational history. This includes knowledge of

existing power structures, organizational traditions and

prominent personalities (Camino 16-18). This is vital

information to navigate potentially resistant waters. It

will take time for a Teen Council to be acknowledged and

respected. Therefore, planning and on-going assessment

will be the key to long-term success.

The conditions, challenges and outcomes of a

successful Y/AP are primarily based on human behavior

and the adults have the most work to do. They must shed

negative preconceptions or labels about teenagers such

as they lack motivation, are undependable, or not

developmentally equipped to take on responsibility

(Bernier 172-179; Zeldin, Camino, Mook 172; Malekoff

21).

28

Misperceptions can be so omnipresent that some

youths assume these teen stereotypes to be true.

Fortunately, research has shown that negative

perceptions of teenagers can be reversed when adults

observe youth in action (Flage et al. 1; Zeldin,

McDaniel, Topitzes, Calvert 8; Zeldin 80; Norman 3).

This occurs when adults witness first-hand teenagers’

capacities to acquire and master skills and to be

excellent, contributing partners and collaborators.

Y/AP’s are democratic and collaborative versus

command-oriented in nature. In my view a Teen Council

must be structured so that youth and adults are able to

work towards a collective goal with mutual respect and

value for each other’s contributions and skill sets.

Youth Development Outcomes

Identifying youth outcomes in a YD initiative is an

assessment of the participants and the program. Specific

outcomes will provide tangible data to disseminate to

29

the program’s architects, participants, supporters and

funders. The following is a list of seven “competencies”

(Funders 17) that have been adapted to this original

assessment model. This table of competencies identifies

what participants could achieve in the best of

conditions.

Competencies

Personal

Leadership, Problem solving, Questions/Choices/Value

judgments, Interpersonal skills, Empathy, Respect, Sense

of belonging, Sense of responsibility, Coping, Patience,

Commitment, Personal voice, Autonomy, Control of one’s

life, Sense of direction (Norman 2-3; Bragg17)

Cognitive

Critical thinking, Questioning/Analysis, Decision-

making, Right and wrong do not exist, Communication,

Organization, Planning and strategizing, Ownership

Cultural

Awareness of setting and people, Safe environment,

30

Creative environment, Self-reflection, Self-esteem,

Contribution to community, Identity development, Sense

of purpose, Cross cultural opportunities, Creative

‘home’, No school or home rules, Meaningful theater

experience (Heath 5; Bragg 17; Zeldin, Camino, Calvert

2003 6)

Social

Awareness of dynamics, Teamwork, Peer support, Role

models, Conflict resolution, Respect differences, Group

with similar interests, Relationship building,

Networking, Collaboration, Negotiation, Compromise,

Power-sharing

Creative Skills

“Theory building and checking out the possible,”

“translating and transforming, Projecting and

Reflecting”, Risk taking, Planning/practice/performance,

Critique, Debate (Heath 5, 7; Deschenes, McDonald,

McLaughlin 45)

Civic

31

Community vision, Responsibility and connectivity,

Active citizenship/advocate/activist (Zeldin, Petrokubi,

Camino 8; Finlay 58)

Political

Recognition of traditional institutions, Identification

of resources, Varied expectations, Negotiation with

established systems, Holding institutions accountable

For those in the Education Department of a regional

theater, YD outcomes may appear to be better left for

schools and social service organizations to tackle. Our

nation’s regional theaters, however, have an

extraordinary opportunity to compensate for the lack of

arts education in public schools. A regional theater is

an optimal environment in which teenagers can acquire

transferable YD competencies. Heath’s “Living the Arts

Through Language-Learning: a Report on Community-based

Youth Organizations” found non-school youth

organizations that focused on the arts…

32

…enable youth who attend their programs

regularly to improve their academic standing,

increase their abilities in self-assessment

and motivation, and raise their sense of the

importance of planning and working for a

positive future for themselves and their

communities.(1)

The field of YD has written extensively on the

benefits of formal, youth-lead structures providing

meaningful and impactful experiences for teenagers. The

challenges may appear formidable, but for those regional

theaters who have a vision to elevate the status and

success of our nation’s theater-minded teenagers, great

things can happen.

The Presence of YD Theory in Regional Theater Teen

Councils

This section will assess the level of YD theory

present in nine active regional theater Teen Councils.

33

In order for YD to succeed the field has identified five

essential attributes necessary for youth-centered

initiatives; “Youth-centeredness…Clear focus…Embedded

curriculum…Cycles of planning, practice and performance…Caring

community,” (Deschenes et al. 26). These attributes will

be applied to nine theaters using the assessment model

below to confirm the presence, potential for growth or

absence of YD principles. Prefacing each assessment will

be the theater’s published Teen Council mission or

vision statement.

This YD assessment is not intended to be a direct

comparison among councils. Each theater is unique and

has a distinct artistic aesthetic and mission,

geographic location and resources. Interestingly, the

strength of these distinctions can impact a program’s

success. For example, the degree to which an Education

Department aligns its mission to the parent theater’s

Mission or Vision statement can have an impact.

Alternatively, if the Teen Council’s architect has

34

extensive experience in theater curriculum, the

likelihood of a meaningful Embedded curriculum is greater.

The data for each council has been compiled from

the following sources: theater websites, blogs, Teen

Council Facebook pages, press and marketing releases,

the Theatre Communications Group/TCG 2011 and 2012

Education Surveys, and interview findings from a 2010

Harvard Graduate School of Education research project on

Education Departments in select regional theaters

(Theatre Communications Group Centerpiece; Theatre

Communications Group Member Theatres; Bechtold, Moore).

With the exception of two theaters, Steppenwolf Theatre

and Victory Gardens Theater with whom I spoke directly,

the following observations are limited to interpretation

of resources rather than telephone interviews or on-site

observational findings.

YD research and outcomes have acknowledged the

benefits of formalized, youth-centered structures. For

youth interested or even passionate about theater, I

35

believe a Teen Council in a regional theater is the

ideal structure. YD principles require…“…a positive

approach and universality… the goal of all youth

thriving; the importance of healthy relationships and

challenging activities that endure and change over time;

and engaging young people as participants, not merely

recipients.” (Hamilton, Hamilton, Pittman 10) The

following list of attributes can be present in a

regional theater Teen Council with thoughtful

preparation.

YD Assessment Model for Regional Theater Teen Councils

Youth-centeredness

Authentic opportunities to share perspectives

Multiple means of involvement

Youth leadership

Responsibility

Youth Voice

Youth involved in day-to-day practice

36

Adults listen, support and reflect on youth ideas

Clear focus

Shared interests and group identity

Structured for individual success

Significance of context

Community outreach

Theater skills

Theater appreciation

Youth Theater

Opportunities reflect context and available

resources

Artistic

Production

Administration

Marketing

Development

Education

Teens have something on which to hang their hat

Staff support all of the above

37

Imbedded curriculum

Stated curriculum

Intentional layering or skill-building in

curriculum

Hard skills, e.g., job readiness skills, time

management, set design

Soft skills, e.g., teamwork, resilience,

negotiation, critique

Quality context and content

Staff knowledge of YD and theater

Activities developmentally appropriate for all

youth levels

Activities focused on multiple outcomes

Competence

Confidence

Character

Connections

Contribution (Hamilton, Hamilton and Pittman 6)

Cycles of planning, practice, and performance

38

Repetition of preparation, rehearsal and

presentation

Cyclical Assessment

Acknowledge successes

Improve future endeavors

Involvement of everyone on multiple levels

Encouragement

Support

Caring Community

Safe

Respectful

High expectations

Consistent

Unconditional

Long-term relationships

Rules and guideposts

Confronting of negative behavior

Assessment Summary of Individual Theater Teen Councils

39

About Face Theatre (AFT) – “Youth Task Force” (YTF) - Chicago, IL

The following is on the YTF web page:

The Youth Task Force is a leadership program,

made up of 5 current ensemble members who take

on larger roles at About Face Theatre. Youth

must commit for one school year, 1-2 meetings

a month. Each member gets paid a stipend at

the beginning, middle, and end of the year.

This part is worth repeating: YOU GET PAID!

What does the Youth Task Force Do [sic]?

Have a voice in major About Face Theatre

decisions.

Influence the programs, workshops and plays

of About Face Youth Theatre.

Lead workshops as part of the youth theater

program.

Gain valuable leadership skills.

Build long-lasting relationships.

Change the world. (AFYT Task Force)

40

The Youth Task Force is comprised of teenagers from

the About Face Youth Theatre’s (AFYT) ensemble, the

youth arm of the parent theater. Below is AFYT’s mission

that provides relevant context:

Our Youth Theatre is an identity-affirming

theatre activism program. LGBTQ youth and

their allies are provided:

rigorous artistic training

critical dialogue about social justice

frameworks

leadership training

access to professional mentorship from

LGBTQ artists and activists

intergenerational dialogue on the most

pressing issues facing queer youth (About

Face Youth Theatre)

The YTF is the leadership arm within the AFYT as

well as an advisory team for the parent theater. This is

unique among Teen Council structures in that youth

41

representation and commitment is requisite to fulfill

the theater’s mission of inclusion. The YTF has a

formally recognized status within the parent theater’s

structure illustrating a deliberate and strong presence

of YD.

The YTF’s objectives meet all YD criteria including

youth voice, authentic leadership roles and clarity of

purpose. Opportunities to develop both hard and soft

life skills are inherent in the YTF leadership positions

listed above. One example of planning, practice and performance

is the YTF’s role as peer mentors in workshops with the

AFYT to write original plays for inclusion in About Face

Theatre’s seasons.

The final YD attribute necessary for a successful

youth-centered program is Caring community. The core of

the AFT’s mission is to provide a home for the LGBTQ

community including young people who face daily

challenges with identity and inclusion. The YTF and the

42

AFYT are exceptional models of what a genuine community

looks like.

Over the years the YTF program architects appear to

have adapted the group to the changing needs of the

youth theater. This is demonstrated in YTF’s evolution

from a Youth Leadership Council back in 1998 (Young

Wisdom Project 53-57) to its current, retitled and

streamlined role today. This growth reflects ongoing

assessment of the YTF’s efficacy. The exact level of YP

and Y/AP cannot be confirmed without a site visit

however, upon review of their website and Facebook

activities, their presence appears to be strong.

The longevity of the YLC suggests it continues to

thrive in an inclusive, focused and highly supportive

community. The YD opportunities remain fluid as the

organization adapts to the continuous changes taking

place in the LGBTQA community at large. Maintaining this

sensitivity and focus on teenagers in today’s

unpredictable social climate is inspiring.

43

Berkeley Repertory Theatre – “Teen Council” (TC) - Berkeley, CA

The Teen Council’s mission and description:

…to cultivate the next generation of theatre

audiences and professionals…We are actors,

directors, writers, designers, improvisers,

and avid theatergoers. Teen Council is a

diverse group of teens (grades 9–12) from all

over the Bay Area. We see plays, create

original performances and events, and meet

Berkeley Rep’s professional staff and artists.

Teen Council is designed by teens for

teens with a passion for theatre who want to

dig deeper. The best part about Teen Council

is that we drive the action.

Our mission is to cultivate the next

generation of theatre audiences and

professionals.

44

Joining Teen Council is simple, free, and

gets you access to the Tony Award-winning

Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Check out all of

Teen Council’s programs above and explore the

many ways to get involved.

We hope you’ll join us! (Teen Council

Berkeley)

Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s TC embodies best

practices of YD principles. There is a clear youth

presence and leadership focus in their programming. This

includes youth-written blogs (Berkeley Rep Blog) as well

as the TC’s sub-committees: Arts Advocacy, Membership,

Events and Marketing. In addition the TC hosts a Teen

One-Acts Festival, playwriting workshops, their youth-

produced event Theatre Scene, and Theatre Conference, a

workshop series lead by the Teen Council to bring in

theater professionals. Youth-centeredness is imbedded

throughout their programming, including authentic

opportunities and multiple ways to be involved. As a

45

result, the TC participants have a genuine voice. The

extent of teen commitment and involvement can be found

on their blogs, web site and videos (Berkeley Rep Blog;

Teen Council Berkeley).

The Clear focus of Berkeley’s TC is revealed in the

myriad of opportunities including artistic, production

and administration. Intentionally or not, the Embedded

curriculum is well honed with entry points to a variety

of experiences in which the participants may learn both

hard and soft life skills. Nothing is dumbed-down. The

level of engagement and learning is appropriate from the

novice to the more skilled council member. The Five Cs,

competence, confidence, character, connections,

contribution, are ever-present.

Cycles of planning, practice and performance are inherent as

well. The web history of the Teen Council evidences this

with a catalog of organized events and experiences

(Berkeley Rep Blog) that are cyclical in nature. As

stated in the School of Theater’s overall mission, the

46

education “…programs strive to stretch their students’

imaginations, foster their creative potential, and

encourage them as artists to develop the commitment

necessary for artistic excellence.” (School of Theatre

Information) This statement illustrates the staff’s high

expectations within a supportive and rich environment.

There clearly is a presence of intergenerational

dialogue within Berkeley Repertory and the Teen Council.

An example is the Council’s attendance at several recent

TCG annual conferences. For the first time young people

were present and actively engaged in a community

traditionally populated by adults. Not surprisingly, the

TC’s presence created quite a stir. Their blog

summarizes the Council’s TCG conference experience and

illustrates how much adults need to learn about

teenagers:

People [adults] kept bringing up marketing

strategies such as big fonts and bright colors

as ways to get teenagers to buy tickets, but

47

we [Teen Council members] couldn’t help but

disagree and say that it’s the programming

that matters. If you produce a show that is

honest and easily relatable and make it

accessible to a younger audience that has

fewer financial resources than the average

patron, you will create a lifelong

theatregoer. (Novakov)

The only question I am unable to answer about

Berkeley’s TC is the extent to which the teenagers are

directly and meaningfully involved in decision-making on

issues that impact them directly. It is difficult to

ascertain the actual level of teen autonomy. The

structural conditions for an impactful YD council are

present and all indications point to meaningful

involvement however an on-site visit would be required

to verify this assumption.

Overall, Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s Teen Council

is a benchmark for what is possible to achieve. In fact,

48

during my phone conversation with Victory Garden’s

Theater, there was direct reference to Berkeley’s Teen

Council being the inspiration for other regional

theaters to start their own. This is a tribute to the

vision of the Berkeley Repertory Teen Council architects

and members. They have set the bar very high indeed.

Center Theatre Group (CTG) – “Student Ambassador Program” (SAP) - Los

Angeles, CA

Student Ambassador Program mission statement:

The Center Theatre Group Student Ambassador

Program is for Los Angeles County high school

students who are curious about the arts and

want to build leadership and teamwork skills.

Student Ambassadors work with other students

and with theatre professionals on exciting

projects that get more young people involved

in the Los Angeles arts community. Gain

49

experience, make new friends and share your

love of the arts! (Center Theatre Grp. SAP)

The SAP is a group of thirty young people between

the ages of thirteen and twenty-three. Beginning with

the application there are high expectations for

participants. All Student Ambassadors are expected to

commit fifty hours of their time within seven months

without an unexcused absence. In return, at the end of

their commitment they receive a stipend of $500 or a

certificate of volunteer credit or community hours

(Center Theatre Group Frequently). This remuneration is

important to note. It signifies a deep commitment on the

part of the parent organization to acknowledge the value

of the teenagers’ time. Therein lies fundamental respect

and support.

The details of the SAP structure demonstrate it is

Youth-centered and has a Clear focus as exemplified by the

four “teams” each Student Ambassador is required to

50

join. Each team affords diverse opportunities to develop

and master a variety of skills:

“The Student Scene Team”: Event Planning and

Production

“The Advocacy Team”: “Making an Impact” - Arts

advocacy in the community through development

and presentation of arts-advocacy-specific

workshops for youths

The “Online Content Team”: Building Virtual

Communities – to communicate effectively with

student-related content through CTG social media

The “Shop Team”: Arts Experiences in Boyle

Heights – a rotating neighborhood arts

advocacy/development project. The Boyle Heights

neighborhood is in LA and only members of that

community are able to participate on this Team

(Center Theatre Grp Student Amb.).

The Imbedded curriculum as well as the Cycles of planning,

practice and performance are apparent in the structure and

51

content of the four teams listed above. These offer

repetitive opportunities for the teens to apply their

individual expertise in a manner that positively impacts

them on personal empowering levels as well as for the

benefit of the group. It is clear the architects

intentionally have the youths remain current with

community needs as reflected in the Shop Team. The

Online Content Team stays current with trends in media.

This focus on cultural and societal nuances and changes

indicates the presence of thoughtful curriculum as well

as intergenerational dialogue and respect for expertise

and ideas.

The Student Ambassador Program’s structure is

stunning in successfully meeting the five essential YD

attributes. It is a program that has evolved from

earlier renditions thanks to CTG’s commitment to having

“…the Ambassadors play a major role in shaping [CTG’s]

programming for young people.” (Center Theatre Grp

Student Amb.) YD runs through the fabric of all CTG’s

52

education programs. The organization puts youth first as

illustrated in the range of experiential opportunities.

Young people regularly work alongside [CTG]

professionals to learn the art, craft and

business of theatre. Young people are

integrated throughout our work as interns,

apprentices, mentees, colleagues and advisors…

Identifying and maximizing opportunities for

learning and participation are a basic part of

[CTG’s] culture and daily work. (Center

Theatre Group)

In terms of being an inclusive community, CTG’s

comments on “Future Challenges” on the Theatre

Communications Group Education Survey articulates their

relentless commitment to the greater Los Angeles

Community through active inclusion:

1) Wanting and needing to do more, but not

having enough time, money, staff, and other

resources. Managing reduced resources,

53

including some decreases to our programs and

staff, [while] striving to maintain

outstanding service and increased access.

2) Seeking solutions for expanding and

diversifying participation in our programs. We

are working to create and pilot new

approaches, materials and strategies; as well

as helping staff "get smarter" about how to

effectively reach out and include more

communities that are not traditionally

represented in our programs. (TCG Center

Theatre Group)

The SAP is successful, at least on paper, because

they appear to be realistic and creative with available

resources. YD principles are clearly the foundation for

the SAP. This is another example of how YD can create a

meaningful Teen Council structure.

54

Goodman Theatre – “Youth Arts Council”/GYAC – Chicago, IL

The Goodman Youth Arts Council:

This initiative allows past participants in

Goodman programs to stay involved with the

theater. Committed to exposing their

contemporaries to the wonders of live

theatrical productions, members act as

ambassadors in their communities and schools,

collaborate with youth councils at other

theaters, and lead theater-based workshops for

their peers and younger children in this

leadership development program.

Each year, exemplary students who complete the

General Theater Studies or Cindy Bandle Young

Critics programs are nominated to be members

of the council by their teachers and peers.

Current council members then interview and

55

meet with each nominee and invite 5-10

nominees to become members of the council.

(Goodman Youth Arts Council)

The GYAC’s enigmatic statement of purpose

underplays its impact and connectivity with the Chicago

community. This is illustrated by the impressive list of

initiatives this group undertakes on behalf of community

needs as they relate to themes of current Goodman

theatre productions. For example, the GYAC partnered

with Illinois Safe Schools Alliance to raise awareness

of LGBTQ harassment in schools. They lead a workshop

using Theatre of the Oppressed methodology to explore

this topic at a LGBTQ Youth Leadership Summit. (Goodman

Theatre YAC partners) The GYAC allied this event to the

Goodman theatre’s production of Teddy Ferrara, which

addressed LGBTQ challenges as well.

In 2012 the GYAC seized the opportunity to further

the conversation on Race and Violence by aligning with

an Illinois organization, Rape Victim Advocates and the

56

Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation with the

Goodman’s production of Race by David Mamet (Goodman

Theatre Education GYAC). The GYAC clearly embraces Youth-

centeredness and has a Clear focus as illustrated by the

connection to community by creatively blending advocacy

with the device of theater.

There is indeed an enormous youth presence with

extremely meaningful leadership opportunities. The GYAC

has a clear focus on group and individual success in an

artistic context. The Imbedded curriculum of the GYAC

instinctively blends both hard and soft life skills.

Because the initiatives are youth-driven, they are

developmentally accessible to each member. Based on the

projects mentioned earlier, there are frequent

opportunities for planning, practice and performance. These

formidable projects indicate that the Goodman Theatre

community takes the GYAC very seriously. The

expectations are high while respecting the participant’s

57

strengths. These observations are inferred based on the

on-going community partnerships the GYAC establishes.

A video of recent GYAC members (Watching Chicago)

provides a look at the inner workings of this group. It

exemplifies collaboration, commitment and passion by the

group’s members. This video establishes the presence of

planning, practice and performance as we observe the group

working on a community project.

Upon review of the GYAC and its accomplishments it

can be inferred that support for this group is strong

both within the theater and out in the community. The

level and breadth of projects indicate the parent

theater is fully committed to the GYAC by providing the

necessary resources.

The GYAC is an exemplary youth-centered program.

The extraordinary work being done every year indicates

this council is committed to and passionate for theater

and community. The understated web presence of this

group indicates a focus not on self-congratulation but

58

on benevolence. This directly connects to the Goodman

Theatre’s mission:

…dedicating itself to three guiding principles

—quality, diversity and community—Goodman

Theatre seeks to be the premier cultural

organization in Chicago, providing productions

and programs that make an essential

contribution to the quality of life in our

city. (About the Goodman)

La Jolla Playhouse – “Student Board of Trustees”/SBT – La Jolla, CA

The SBT student-written mission:

Our mission as the La Jolla Playhouse Student

Board is to advocate theatre on behalf of the

La Jolla Playhouse by encouraging youth to

experience and learn about theatre in a hands

on [sic] environment. (La Jolla Playhouse

Student Board)

59

La Jolla’s Education Department description of the

SBT:

…an advocacy and advisory board involving

creative and dynamic students throughout San

Diego County who demonstrate strong leadership

qualities. The purpose of the Board is to

introduce a young audience to the innovative

spirit of La Jolla Playhouse and the

imaginative and surprising work it produces…

Student Board members learn the artistic

vision and general operation of the Playhouse

and contribute to that vision by supporting

education, marketing and development programs

that reach out to the San Diego community. (La

Jolla Playhouse Education)

Upon examining the SBT website and Facebook page

(La Jolla Student Board Facebook) it appears the roles

of the SBT is to encourage peers to attend La Jolla

Playhouse productions and organize intermittent

60

fundraising events for the Education Department’s

scholarship fund. Neither of these activities reflect

comprehensive coverage of meaningful YD principles.

Unfortunately, these findings do not align with the

mission of the SBT being a community for ‘leadership’

and ‘artistic learning’ opportunities. The research does

not find any meaningful or consistent internal or

community outreach initiatives.

The application process for SBT members asks

members to commit to one of four committees: Community

Outreach, Finance, Special Events, Public Relations and

Blog Editor. There are also purported professional

development opportunities. Again, there is no evidence

on Facebook or the SBT website to indicate consistent or

frequent activities by any of these committees or

professional development opportunities.

An unusual detail of this council is a link on the

SBT website containing the member’s biographies (La

Jolla Playhouse Meet the Board ). This is a group of

61

teenagers who have multiple out-of-school-time

commitments. The SBT’s Facebook page is also used to

disseminate member’s performances outside of La Jolla

Playhouse. Unlike more YD centered Teen Councils, the

SBT appears to have low expectations on commitment. It

feels like a group whose focus is more social with a

relaxed approach. As far as authentic opportunities, the

SBT’s appear to be primarily tokenistic.

Based on YD criteria, there is no evidence of

meaningful Youth-centered programming. This may indicate

an Education Department that is struggling with

developing a cohesive education vision and/or it may

reflect the parent theater’s disengagement and

disinterest in supporting the SBT. According to the TCG

Education Survey, 40% of the La Jolla Education

Department’s focus is on children between the ages of 5-

11 while the age group between 12 and 18 years is only

15% (TCG La Jolla). For context, Center Theatre Group’s

focus on 12-18 year olds is 64% Berkeley Rep. is 38% and

62

Steppenwolf is 85%. Overall it is clear teenagers are

not a high priority at SBT (TCG 2012).

There is no identifiable Imbedded curriculum or any

hard evidence pointing to the SBT achieving

developmental outcomes, hard or soft. The stated goal of

inviting Sand Diego youth to participate at the La Jolla

playhouse may give the impression of Youth-centeredness,

but I would argue otherwise. The activities surrounding

fund raising events appear to involve a low level of

planning, practice and performance. The infrequency indicates a

cursory interest from both the parent theater and the

youths themselves.

In terms of a Caring environment there is no

definitive evidence of an adult partner being actively

involved. This can be interpreted as low expectations

for the SBT youths. Regrettably there is very little

concrete evidence to suggest the La Jolla Student Board

has captured, even unknowingly, any YD principles. Of

63

course, without a direct conversation or site visit this

cannot be confirmed.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater – “Teen Council” (TC) - Milwaukee, WI

The Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Education Mission

Statement:

The education department at Milwaukee

Repertory Theater is committed to using

theatre in the fullest possible way. Our

programs are designed to demonstrate the

educational potential, creative growth and

development of life skills gained through

participation in this art form (Kostreva).

The Teen Council’s statement reads…

The Teen Council at The Rep is an organization

by teens for teens. We promote a love and

appreciation of theater for a younger

64

generation, bringing together teens from all

over Southeastern Wisconsin (Milwaukee Rep

Theatre Teen Council).

Both these missions clearly articulate theater

being the common denominator. As we have seen in similar

‘for the love of theater’ missions, translating this

into experiential opportunities can be challenging with

the potential for tokenism. However, the Milwaukee Teen

Council actively engages in the YD process through

“vital theater experiences” (Kostreva 2013), with the

stated intention of providing hands-on opportunities to

gain both hard and soft life skills.

The Youth-centeredness of the Teen Council is inferred

by their evolution and increased responsibilities since

its inception in 2010. The current TC programs include a

summer “Short Play Festival”, professional development

workshops and Teen Nights for TC members and their peers

to attend Milwaukee Repertory productions at a discount.

Based on the Teen Council’s Facebook page this is a

65

passionate and dedicated group of teenagers whose ideas

and initiatives have been embraced by the parent theater

(Milwaukee Rep Theater Teen Council).

The Clear focus on all things theater from artistic

to production to administration is reflected in the Teen

Council events and projects. The first example of this

was when the Education staff implemented the Teen

Council (Kostreva 2011). Several teens taking classes at

the theater were approached by the Education staff and

asked if they wanted to start a Teen Council. They

agreed and a first meeting was scheduled. At the first

meeting the staff held a training session for the

participating teens. They were assigned jobs including

note taking, writing an agenda for future meetings,

creating recruitment and application strategies as well

as a draft mission statement. From that point on the

Teen Council has grown and thrived. This first meeting

clearly demonstrates the Education Staff’s commitment to

66

Youth-centeredness as well as having a Clear focus with an

Embedded curriculum.

Currently, the Teen Council is relentless in

organizing events for their peers with the lure of cheap

theater tickets and engaging pre-show activities. In

addition the TC has monthly Teen Nights where

professional artists are invited to speak and work with

the council members. They host pre-show events for the

Milwaukee Rep. season productions and produce, direct,

design and act in the annual Summer Play Festival

(Milwaukee Rep Summer). This represents consistent and

meaningful Cycles of planning, practice and performance.

The evolution and growth of the Teen Council

indicates the presence of pro-active teens, access to

significant resources, and support by the parent

theater. The evidence of YD throughout the council’s

initiatives is another example of a successful Teen

Council in which young people express and celebrate

67

their passion for theater within a supportive and

vibrant community.

Portland Center Stage – Teen Council (TC) - Portland, OR

The Teen Council at Portland Center Stage is

composed of high-school students desiring a

deeper involvement with professional theater

and opportunities to take part in advanced

theater experiences. In exchange for serving

as ambassadors for PCS, teens can earn free

tickets to all of the productions at PCS,

enrollment in workshops taught by working

actors, backstage interviews with cast, and

perhaps a party here and there. Activities

are as wide and varied as the teen council can

dream up. Typically the teen council meets on

the first Sunday of every month October –

68

June, with exceptions made as they arise

(Portland Center Stage Teen Council).

The Teen Council at Portland Center Stage is a small

group of teenagers who share an interest in theater. The

group meets monthly to consider professional development

opportunities, plan parties and be with peers who share

the same passion for theater. Oddly, there do not appear

to be any activities or projects that have been

organized or implemented by the TC (Portland Center

Stage blog). This indicates a lack of YD principles.

The primary function of the Teen Council is to

provide its members access to professional development

opportunities in performance and production (it is

unclear if they must pay for these classes), and on

occasion plan a party around a random theme, e.g. the

holidays or a PCS performance. Beyond these activities,

there do not appear to be any meaningful experiences.

The impression is the teens are recipients of services.

69

Portland Center Stage has a skeletal infrastructure

in place from which they could contemplate building a

meaningful, YD-based Council. There is a Teen Council

membership, a web presence and blog. In addition the

Portland community may be an untapped resource from

which to create impactful outreach opportunities. For

Portland Center Stage to have a successful Teen Council

they need to reassess their commitment and form a new

vision actively shifting towards youth-centeredness.

The lack of YD principles may reflect an Education

Department that lacks YD knowledge and a clear vision.

They may be unaware of YD and the opportunities it could

provide to the teens and the PCS community. It may also

indicate a lack of commitment to the TC by the staff and

parent theater. Without a visit, however, there is no

way to determine the reality of this Teen Council.

The stated PCS Teen Council descriptor touches on

themes similar to those embraced by successful councils

such as love of theater and creating opportunities for

70

meaningful experiences. With proper planning and

training, including an understanding of YD theory and

its application, PCS has the rudimentary framework from

which to build a meaningful Teen Council.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company – “Young Adult Council” (YAC) - Chicago,

IL

The Young Adult Council is a unique program

for passionate and motivated high school

students who wish to learn the inner-workings

of professional theatre from the most

celebrated artists in the city. In addition to

face time with these leading professionals,

Council members attend the best plays in

Chicago, learn how to analyze and speak about

these plays and lead events for their peers

71

around Steppenwolf productions (Steppenwolf

Young Adult Council).

This summary does not adequately reflect the

commitment and depth of this youth-lead program. One has

only to scratch the surface to uncover the breadth of

Youth-centeredness and the journey the council has made

towards achieving their success.

The Young Adult Council started in 2006 as a spin-

off from Steppenwolf Theatre’s teen ensemble. At that

point the ensemble had no direct engagement with the

parent theater or community. That relationship changed

when the YAC was created. The council architects wanted

to “…allow students to be experts in the room…while

become[ing] guides.” (Bechtold 27) The staff understood

that in order to cultivate the next generation of

theater practitioners and audience members, young people

needed to be welcomed and their voices heard in the

context of theater (Fulton N.p.). This directly

addresses the presence of Youth-centeredness.

72

The focus of the YAC is clearly on providing young

people who are passionate about theater a forum in which

to explore and grow. One YAC responsibility is

partnering with adult advisors to select productions for

the Steppenwolf Young Adult’s Season. These plays form

the catalyst for community outreach initiatives where

the season’s theme is unpacked through a variety of

community events. For example in 2012, Chicago enlisted

Steppenwolf and other area theater Teen Councils to

participate as youth facilitators in the “Now is the

Time Initiative,” a citywide campaign to confront the

issue of violence (Now is the Time to Act). The

Steppenwolf Young Adults Season, as selected by YAC,

consciously aligned their productions’ themes around

violence in order to enhance the community conversation

(Now is the Time Steppenwolf). These activities

represent a Clear focus as well as an Imbedded curriculum.

Internally, YAC participates in artistic

development workshops that include in-depth

73

conversations with directors, playwrights and designers

as well as a YAC organized event, “The Scene.” This is

an evening for high school students to see a play, meet

the artists and have a party at the theater for an

affordable price. This is YAC’s community outreach

effort to bring peers to the theater with the intent of

cultivating a new generation of audience. “The Scene”,

and variety of workshops demonstrate Cycles of planning,

practice and performance.

The Education Staff who partner with YAC have

worked tirelessly over the years alongside the teenagers

to create an exceptional program. However, a high-end

problem has emerged. As the YAC members have become

imbedded in the program, they inevitably develop close

mentor-mentee relationships. Beyond project partners

the staff has become advisors on a deeper level

including college applications, audition mentoring, and

conversations about the future (TCG Ed. Survey

Steppenwolf). With a relatively small staff, meeting

74

those needs can be overwhelming from a time and energy

perspective. However, this level of connection and

commitment to young people is a testament to the

program’s success. This clearly illustrates the final YD

attribute of a Caring community

Once again, without the added benefit of an on-site

visit, the information being assessed reflects inferred

outcomes from the Steppenwolf website, their YAC

Facebook page and notes from a brief telephone

conversation with the Artistic and Educational Director

for Steppenwolf for Young Adults. The goal of the

conversation was to inquire about my possibly conducting

a site visit to speak directly with the YAC members.

Unfortunately their schedule was not able to accommodate

my visit.

Victory Gardens Theater – Teen Arts Council (TAC) - Chicago, IL

The Teen Arts Council is a diverse group of

teens from in and around Chicago who are

75

motivated and passionate about the performing

arts. The Teen Arts Council provides the

opportunity for high school students to

explore one of the most celebrated theaters in

Chicago, see new and exciting shows, and have

a unique perspective of the Chicago theater

community. With the support of Victory Gardens

Theatre, the Teen Arts Council provides the

resources to grow as the next generation of

theatre artists and audiences (Victory Gardens

Theater).

The mission of the Teen Arts Council reflects a

repeating council theme: cultivating the next generation

of theater artists and audiences. This fledgling council

was created by Victory Gardens’ Arts Education Director,

Robert Cornelius. I spoke with Cornelius asking how the

TAC came about. He explained that it was in response to

a 2010/11 TCG conference presentation by Berkeley

Repertory’s and Steppenwolf Theatre’s Teen Councils.

76

The TAC attends workshops with members of the

artistic and production teams of the theater including

directors, actors, playwrights, techies, marketing,

front of house, and production (Victory Gardens Teen

Arts Council Facebook). In addition, the TAC has started

planning and hosting community outreach events for their

peers called “The Event.” The goal is to introduce their

friends to theater by seeing a show, touring the

theater’s facility and mingling with a community of

like-minded friends.

Another TAC goal is involvement in the Chicago

community. In 2012 the TAC joined a consortium of

Chicago theater’s Teen Councils on the Now is the Time

initiative. The goal was to engage the community in

conversations on violence as a way to understand its

roots and contemplate solutions. Members of the Council

conducted video interviews of their peers on the topic

of violence (Victory Gardens Teen Council Interview).

77

The TAC’s involvement points to a reciprocal

relationship with the theater and community.

The TAC is intent on being a Youth-centered

environment. Cornelius described his vision of creating

a safe and supportive space for Chicago Public School

youths who are passionate about theater. He wants a

designated place within the Victory Gardens theatre in

which the TAC members can explore and become familiar

with everything theater. This context provides an

unconditional, creative environment in which teenagers

can take a step back from their day-to-day and explore

who they are.

The TAC remains a work-in-progress. Since its

inception the process of building a core group of

committed youths with an articulated, agreed-upon

objective has been challenging. This is based on my

review of the TAC Facebook page that appears to struggle

with engaging the individual participants. My

conversation with Mr. Cornelius revealed an approach to

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developing TAC as fluid and non-pressured. He is tuned

in and respectful of the challenges his TAC members face

in terms of managing conflicts with other commitments

both familial and academically.

The slow growth of this group reflects inherent

challenges in creating a meaningful Teen Council. The

TAC has the feel of a group finding its footing and

identifying its own personality. They may be exploring

the level of leadership they can exercise and the extent

to which their voices will be heard. Teenagers are not

accustomed to being the presumed leaders as society

historically has set youth leadership expectations very

low (Zeldin, Camino, Calvert, Ivey 27). And it takes

time to build an infrastructure, trust and reassurances

that the youths’ efforts will be perceived and received

unconditionally (Zeldin, Petrokubi, MacNeil 273).

The goals of TAC as envisioned by Cornelius are

clearly similar to those found at Steppenwolf and

Berkeley Rep. I am convinced that with some

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understanding of YD principles, TAC could take hold and

flourish at Victory Gardens. By addressing the five

attributes, TAC’s path will fall into place. As the TAC

members become meaningfully empowered their goals will

solidify, and their actions will become focused.

There is an unequivocal presence of a Caring

community. The space Cornelius describes is one of

respect for the TAC members and a high level of

commitment on the part of the Education Department to

make this program thrive. If YD is actively applied from

a clear roadmap informing them of potential levels of

engagement and participation, the group’s focus will

sharpen. TAC’s mission of creating future theater

artists and audiences is a broad mission. By actively

incorporating YD principles, outcomes could be richly

specific and empowering for the teenagers.

Summary

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The level of YD, YP and YE, as demonstrated by

these nine Teen Councils varies enormously. The councils

that hover at the top of the “ladder” include the About

Face Theatre’s Youth Task Force and the Goodman

Theatre’s Youth Arts Council. Based on my research and

assessment these theaters have fully embraced achieving

the Five C’s by skillfully employing Youth-centeredness, a

Clear focus, an Embedded Curriculum, Cycles of Planning within a Caring

Community. Beyond these attributes there is also

fluidity in their approach. The adult partners and

equally importantly, the parent theater are actively

responding to changes and needs of the council. There is

an organic response that allows the group to evolve and

shift. This indicates a high level of commitment from

the top down.

Those theaters whose councils were lowest on the

“ladder” were La Jolla’s Student Board of Trustees and

Portland Center Stage’s Teen Council. Both these groups

appear to lack a thoughtful, passionate and targeted

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youth focus on the part of the adult partners and parent

theater. There is no evidence of active employment of YP

and YE through the Five C’s and the assessment

attributes. These ineffectual councils indicate a lack

of vision on the part of the adults as to the potential

of the youths in their theater’s community. These

theaters could move up the “ladder” by assessing their

readiness to elevate the level of Youth Participation.

Is there a desire as well as an informed understanding

of the benefits of YD? Does their organization have the

necessary resources? Any theater with the vision to

empower youths can find the means to implement an

impactful Teen Council.

Manual of Implementation

YD Review

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Prior to embarking on implementing a Teen Council,

here is a quick review of YD principles. Youth

Participation is democratic engagement that is

inclusive, authentic and autonomous. Youth Empowerment

is the outcome of a participatory process through which

an individual has gained an understanding and mastery of

issues that they determine to be of the utmost

importance. Youth/Adult Partnership is the desire and

ability for youths and adults to draw on and respect

each other’s strengths and expertise.

As the Teen Council assessment model has proven, a

program’s mission statement can state one thing but the

program’s actions may not necessarily align. This

disconnect is ultimately revealed in the actions and

activities of the youth program. The more successful and

authentic Teen Councils instinctively imbed the key YD

attributes, Youth–centeredness, Clear focus, Embedded curriculum,

Cycles of planning, practice and performance and Caring community.

These are evidenced in the strength and creativity of

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the Teen Councils’ initiatives. It cannot be emphasized

enough how important it is to consider these five

attributes when making program choices for a Teen

Council. These attributes are the litmus test of the

program’s commitment to YD.

The first section of this paper summarized that

effective YD is based on principles that young people

require support, advice and experiential opportunities

in order to access their full potential. This means that

a Teen Council’s structure should actively employ

transferable competencies: personal, cognitive,

cultural, social, creative, civic and political. From

experiential opportunities the goal is for teenagers to

achieve the Five Cs: Confidence, Character, Competence,

Connection and Contribution.

A Teen Council should embody Youth Participation,

Youth Empowerment and Youth/Adult Partnerships within

the program’s foundation. The YD field has innumerable

recommendations of best practices for designing and

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implementing youth-centered programs and councils

(Martin et al. 16-17; Arts Council 5-8, 57-62; Hart

1997, 40-55; Lesko; Fletcher; Seidel et al. 65; Start a

Youth Program; Lowenstein, Ortiz). The following Manual

has been assembled sourcing best practices that in my

view would best support a regional theater’s Teen

Council structure.

The good news is that the theater industry has a

handful of visionary educators who have instinctively

navigated and developed authentic Teen Councils. For

future council architects, a Teen Council with imbedded

YD principles will take planning, patience and time. For

those who work currently with teenagers, it is good to

remember that the process is potentially as rewarding as

the outcomes.

The most important recommendation when implementing

a Teen Council is to include several teenagers from the

outset and throughout the overall process. Their

presence and contributions will keep the project on task

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and make the Council authentic. Their inclusion will be

the first of many tests that will determine the

trajectory and level of YD in your Teen Council (Siebert

57-58).

Benefits of a Teen Council

The following is an expanded list of benefits for

youth, adult partners, theater and community.

Youth Benefits

Experience of the process of participation as an

outcome in itself. It is in the process that goals

are identified, practiced and achieved (Percy-

Smith, Thomas 361).

Exposure to experiential, real-life opportunities

Control over their lives

Identity development (Zeldin, Camino, Calvert 2003,

6)

Validation of one’s voice

Acquisition of “social learning” (Percy-Smith,

Thomas 362) or “social action skills” (Youth

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Development Institute 8) while collaborating with

peers and adults during the planning, execution and

evaluation of activities.

Ability to self-identify individual levels of

participation. For example, “I am a leader,

supporter, researcher, communicator, etc.”

Experience of inclusivity and its potential

efficacy.

A deeper understanding of theater.

Development of “hard” skills, e.g., job readiness

skills, time management, set design, as well as

“Soft” skills, e.g., teamwork, resilience,

negotiation, ability to critique

Experience of reciprocal learning with adults who

serve as role models and bring their experiences to

the partnership (Zeldin et al. 2001, 7)

Recognition of the strengths of adults

Individual and group “relevancy” results in skill

mastery, (Zeldin et al. 2001, 8)

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Experience of “emergent ideas” within a creative

environment, e.g., “I can see where this may be

going.” (Heath, Soep, Roach 5)

Application of the cycles of planning, practice and

performance that are inherent in a theater

environment

Expression of fresh ideas

Increased commitment to an organization that

respects youth voice and competency (Arnett 86).

Develop into innovators, decision-makers and

leaders versus consumers (Zeldin, Camino, Calvert

2003, 3; Sinclair 107).

Adult Benefits

Mitigation of teen stereotypes by experiencing

their abilities first-hand (Children’s Rights 2;

Zeldin et al. 2001, 8; Ledford et al. 5)

Recognition of strengths of teens and viewing them

as resources.

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Improvement of skills on how to work with young

people.

Reconfirmed adult commitment to youth and a re-

energizing of the process (Child Rights 2-3).

Enjoyment of shared expertise with youth.

Growth and development that comes from learning

from young people.

Skills involved in being an ally.

Experience of multiple perspectives.

Greater commitment to the organization (Zeldin et

al. 2001, 34-5)

More dynamic meetings

Increased ability to build consensus.

Improved listening skills

Theater Benefits

Cultural shift to embrace youths in decision-

making.

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Communication to local community of the theater’s

focus on inclusion and accessibility (Zeldin et al.

2001, 8; Young Wisdom 21)

Confirmation through YD that theater is not only

for the “elite.”

Improvement of curriculum and programs when

partnered with the end-users (Zeldin et al 2001,

39; Zeldin Camino, Calvert 2003, 9)

Enhanced funding opportunities by employing YD.

Accountability by the theatre to embrace continued

youth involvement (Zeldin et al. 2001, 5)

Increased profile of the theater with the patrons,

funders, parents and community at large. (Zimmerman

582)

Renewed view of local community beyond

“patron”/ticket buyer

Increased community outreach opportunities by

accessing the youths’ networks

Self-efficacy

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Improved decision and policy making (Youth Wisdom

21)

Development of new leaders and supporters for the

future. (Youth on Board 7-8)

New character, leadership and arts education

opportunities that are absent in some of the

nation’s public schools

Changed perspective on the future and the status

quo as viewed through the eyes of the future, our

youths.

Community Benefits

“…a model for healing intergeneration

relationships…” (Youth Wisdom 21)

The regional theater as a resource to help address

youth-related community challenges (Ledford 9)

Improvement of the community’s quality of life by

acknowledging youths as viable members (Heath,

Soep, Roach 16)

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New community initiatives by incorporating a

theater’s model of successful intergenerational

work.

“…urban youth as resources for their schools and

neighborhoods” (Strobel et al. 1681)

A broadening of the community’s agenda by embracing

the needs of youth (Funders Coll. 18)

Implementing a Council

Teen Council Advisory Committee

One of the first tasks in starting a Teen Council

initiative is to assemble a core Advisory Committee.

This group agrees there is desire by the youths within

the theater for a Teen Council. This Advisory Committee

should be made up of no more than five or six members

and should represent a cross section of the organization

so as to serve a variety of democratic and strategic

purposes. They will participate in the journey from

start to finish.

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Two Teenagers: These are the most essential members

of the Advisory Committee (Warwick 324). Their

inclusion will guarantee the presence and

authenticity of YD in the Teen Council. It is

recommended that there be at least two youths

present to give mutual support as well as to insure

a balance of power with the adults.

One to two Education Staff: In partnership with the

youths they are essential to moving the Teen

Council initiative forward both internally and in

the community. They are the stabilizing force

within the organization as YD is introduced and

adults adjust to the concept of youth leadership.

One Marketing or Development Staff: One

representative from either of these internal

departments, while not essential, would be an

invaluable ally. Their presence would represent the

organization’s commitment to the project while

simultaneously promoting the Teen Council’s

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internal efficacy. They could be perceived as the

“neutral” voice. In addition, their departments

would benefit from identifying new opportunities

for external funding and community partnerships as

a result of YD being present within the theater

(Appendix D).

One “Champion” from the Board of Trustees: This

individual is a fully committed supporter of the

Teen Council initiative. This person serves as the

conduit between the Teen Council Advisory Committee

and the theater’s leadership. This position cannot

be underestimated in its ability to secure the

success of this program. Based on personal

experience, this individual can generate internal

and community support, gain the Advisory Committee

access to funders, theater leadership and staff,

serve as a go-between with any internal push-back

and take on council-related tasks that the

Education staff may not have time to manage.

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Conditions

Careful thought and planning needs to take place

prior to implementing a Teen Council. Research points to

a variety of conditions that must be in place for youth-

leadership initiatives to survive over the long-term.

The following is a list of recommendations for the

conditions necessary to build and sustain a Teen

Council.

Youths are inspired by and committed to developing

a leadership Teen Council. The perfect scenario

would be a teen approaching someone in the

Education Department to discuss the feasibility of

a Teen Council. This clearly is an opportunity upon

which the staff person should seize. This youth’s

commitment can be infectious and result in the

entire organization backing the initiative (Zeldin

et al 2001 46).

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The second scenario would be an adult

proposing the idea to a group of youths in the

theater or community who exhibit initiative and

passion for theater and youth voice. By obtaining

their interest in pursuing the implementation of a

Teen Council this team of advocates have a

legitimate chance to get the initiative off the

ground.

Adult Buy-in: Are there identified adults within

the organization from the top down who are strong

advocates for the Teen Council as a viable youth-

leadership entity, e.g., Administration, Board of

Trustees, Assistant Staff? These relationships must

be determined and established from the get-go to

eliminate any undermining of the Council (Wolfowitz

170; Zeldin et al. 2001, 15, 45-6).. If the

Education Department is misaligned with the

artistic leadership of the theater, this can create

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a barrier to implementing a Teen Council (Bechtold,

Moore 3-4).

Staff knowledge/Training of YD is essential for an

authentic Youth-centered Teen Council (Murdock et al.

21). This requires training the adults who will be

directly involved in the Teen Council. For training

resources see Appendix C for recommended manuals

and websites.

Opportunities for Teens - The following is an

explicit warning for any youth-focused initiative

to heed as stated by Hartas and Lindsay;

Contradictory policies and practices

around diversity, capability building and

power inequality are likely to have a

negative effect on young people’s right

to participation, which, under certain

circumstances, may be used as a tool of

social control, a way of disguising

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conventional power relationships built

around adult agendas. (2)

To circumvent this potential trap the

organization must commit to embracing youths as

agents of change in terms of power. In addition,

transparency by the stakeholders in communicating a

realistic level of youth participation must be

established prior to implementation. Remember, it

is “about” youth, not “for” youth.

The Teen Council Advisory Committee should

consider early opportunities to have the

organization and community witness first-hand the

teens’ abilities and successes in adult turf. The

YD field unanimously agrees that to build buy-in

and commitment from adults to accepting youths as

viable partners, they must see them in action.

Zeldin summarized this essential condition stating

“…we must focus on awakening adults instead of

trying to teach them new behaviors. This approach

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reduces resistance and increases acceptance.”

(Zeldin et al. 2001 15, 47, 49)

A Teen Council can provide opportunities for

teenagers to acquire progressively challenging

skills through scaffolding (Zeldin et al. 2001 15).

This can serve as a vehicle for some youths who are

unaccustomed to being viewed as capable a path from

which to achieve cumulative experiences and

success. The Goodman Theater’s youth program

structures are a good example (Goodman Theatre

Education Programs). Prior to Council

participation, teens have had multiple experiences

within the theater to self-identify their strengths

and passions. This enables them to join the Council

with a Clear focus on what they would like to

experience and achieve.

Timeline of Implementation

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With this group in place, now is the time to sit

down and start the journey. The first project for the

Advisory Council is to write a timeline or calendar of

next steps. Below is an example of a timeline adapted

from the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County

(Lowenstein Ortiz 27). The numbers following each task

are distinct identifiers and indicate the task’s level

of priority. The tasks are suggestions:

Month 1

Confirm Youth desire for a Teen Council (1)

Review status of “Conditions” (2)

Create tentative timeline (3)

Identify recruiting sites (4)

Month 2

Review status of “Conditions” (2)

Review tentative timeline (3)

Conduct council recruitment (4)

Begin making council purchases (5)

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Begin application & interview process for

council members (6)

This timeline is helpful in that it allows for

adjustments for tasks that may not have been completed

as scheduled. This reflects a strategy that is clear,

flexible and not overwhelming. One addition might be to

assign tasks to specific Advisory members so there is

clarity on responsibilities.

Vision, Goals and Objectives

The next task for the Teen Council Advisory

Committee is to articulate the Vision, Goals and

Objectives of the Teen Council (Fletcher et al. 20-1).

To start the conversation and understand each Committee

member’s point of view, begin with the following

questions:

What energizes you about a Teen Council?

What trepidations do you have?

What does Youth Participation mean to you?

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What are the first steps the Advisory Committee may

want to take?

The original architect may want to reflect on what

triggered the Teen Council idea. The Teen Council

Advisory Committee should discuss and articulate why

young people need a formal structure within the

Education Department. What value would youth voices

bring to educational programming that impacts them

directly? What could be accomplished in a youth-centered

Teen Council structure? Does youth participation and

voice matter? Why?

It is important that all members listen

respectfully and unconditionally to all viewpoints.

Acknowledging the voices of all stakeholders will result

in a unified Vision statement.

The Education Staff member may take this

opportunity to train the Teen representatives on group

facilitation. They can coach the youth on how to manage

presenting the questions and facilitating the subsequent

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conversations. Another Advisory Committee member should

be assigned the task of note-taking so all ideas are

documented for further conversations, reflections and

even assessment down the road. Now the hard work begins.

Vision Statement: The Vision defines the broad concept

or overarching reason for implementing the Teen Council.

In other words, define how this initiative is Youth-

centered with a Clear focus. The danger is to be too broad.

As researchers for Americans for the Arts found, “A

single disarmingly simple goal drives effective arts-

based youth programs: excellence in performance or

production with community youth support.” (Heath, Soep,

Roach 12) Here are a few Vision statement examples I

adapted from the assessed Teen Council mission

statements:

The Center Theatre Group Student Ambassador Program

is a youth leadership program open to Los Angeles

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County high school students to explore theater at a

deeper level where participants lead the charge.

The Goodman Theatre Youth Arts Council will provide

past participants in Goodman programs, greater

leadership and teamwork opportunities through the

lens of theater in a youth-centered group.

In order for a Teen Council initiative to move

forward I believe there must be universal agreement on

the Vision. By doing so, it will galvanize momentum,

exhibit a unified mission and strengthen the commitment

to implementing a Teen Council.

Goals: The Goals articulate what the Teen Council

wants to achieve to reach the Vision. These should be

realistic so as to set the project up for success. For

example:

The About Face Youth Task Force will have an equal

voice in the parent theater’s programming

decisions.

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Berkeley Rep’s Teen Council will be recognized as

an official youth-lead entity within the overall

theater organization in order for all Council

programs and activities to be determined by the

youths themselves.

Objectives: The Objectives define the specific tasks and

paths to achieve the Vision. For Example:

The About Face Youth Task Force will meet regularly

with the About Face Youth Theatre’s staff during

the season planning period to partner in

determining productions appropriately align with

their youth programs, workshops and About Face

Youth Theatre play selections.

The Youth Task Force is solely responsible for the

planning, implementation and assessment of AFYT

workshops and original productions.

Resources

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Funds - Is there a funding plan in place or a

starter fund set aside to cover general startup

costs: supplies, food (always have food available),

transportation reimbursement for council members,

etc. Larger events may need seed money for the

first runs, but these can be budgeted by the youths

to be self-sustained through future fundraising and

ticket sales.

IT - Computer and printer access

Space - This addresses access to both physical and

emotional space. Physically, it would be a

dedicated space just for the youths. Does the

theater have a room or dedicated corner for the

Council members? Is there a room in which to

conduct larger or formal meetings? Is there a

dedicated space for the teens when they are not in

school? For example, after-school hours, weekends,

evenings and vacations.

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Emotionally, the environment must be safe and

supportive, with nearby and accessible adult

presence. There will be situations when the youths

have family and school situations that are less

than optimal. The environment a theater offers

these youths must be safe, unconditional and

reliable.

Power

Commitment to achieve intergenerational balance of

power: This may take time to achieve but there must be

an initial agreement that power issues will be addressed

openly and directly. At the very least the adult Teen

Council partner(s) must embrace this sharing of power.

Theater Readiness

The following is a list of questions the Teen

Council Advisory Committee can discuss to determine the

theater’s readiness to take on a Youth-centered Council.

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Some of these questions have been extracted from Youth on

Board, a Boston-based non-profit youth leadership

training organization, and Making Space. Making Change.

Profiles of youth-led and youth-driven organizations (Young Wisdom 78-

9). The order of these questions is intentional as they

progress toward more focused responses.

Describe the level of decision-making the Teen

Council will strive to achieve.

What are the benefits of a Teen Council for your

theater?

What are your Vision, Goals and Objectives?

Is there adequate organizational support to move

ahead with establishing a Teen Council?

Is there a pool of teenagers who would be

interested in joining the Teen Council? If not,

what is the recruitment plan?

What challenges do you anticipate, e.g. budgetary,

staffing, power-sharing, resources, interest, etc.

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Is there a Training and Orientation plan for both

youths and adults?

Is there a system for on-going recruitment and

training for both youths and adult Council

partners?

Do you have an Assessment plan and who will

participate? The field recommends that youths be

directly involved in assessment (Checkoway

Richards-Schuster 91; Hart 1992; Young Wisdom 59).

Does the theater’s Mission align with the future

Teen Council’s?

What are the strengths of your theater that could

be resources for the Teen Council?

What examples of existing theater Teen Council’s

reflect similar structures or methodologies you

envision for yours?

Identify where you believe your theater’s Teen

Council will fall on the leadership spectrum

starting with the lowest level of youth

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participation and building to the most

participation:

“Adult-led organizations with youth leadership

programs”

“Youth-led project within an adult-led

organization”

“Youth-driven organization or project”

“Youth-led organization”

Below is an adaptation combining Making Space. Making

Change. Profiles of youth-led and youth-driven organizations (Young

Wisdom 16) and Hart’s Ladder of Participation (Appendix

B) as it relates to youth leadership initiatives:

Youth as Clients: Youth are “served” by adults and

have no input into program decision making

Youth Participation: Youth input into program

decision making is occasionally solicited by adult

workers

Youth Involvement: Youth provide regular input into

program decision making

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Youth Driven: Youth have substantive, meaningful

roles in leadership positions, including governance

and programming

Youth Run: Youth fill a majority of staff positions

and manage the day-to-day operations of the [Teen

Council]

Youth Led: Youth are in all major [Teen Council]

leadership roles…and have majority of [Council]

membership on [the theater’s] boards of directors,

with appropriate support from adult allies

Applying these questions during the coarse of

implementing the Teen Council will provide a tangible

overview from which to anticipate problems, identify

resources and opportunities and determine the level of

Youth Participation.

Recruiting

Research has documented teen responses to what is

meaningful to them when joining a youth group. This is

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included to provide documented youth perspectives to

illustrate that the input of youths in recruiting is

vital (Zeldin, Petrokubi, MacNeil 21). Several of the

least successful Teen Councils that were assessed

earlier could benefit from the following youth’s

statements:

“If you give a person a sense of purpose, give

them a voice, then they’ll participate.”

“You don’t usually want to listen to adults

tell you how to have fun.

Programs have to be more productive, be more

relevant to our own community.”

“There’s always someone to push you, to

support you and help you reach your goals.”

“It would be the coolest of cool to start our

own program.”

“I’d like to start something with people my

own age. Sometimes I crave a place to talk to

my peers about, I don’t know, world affairs

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and politics, literature, current events–

whatever! Like a philosopher’s coffee shop or

something like that.” (Saito 70, 72)

The first priority when planning recruitment is to

determine whom the theater and council will target. The

most effective way to determine this is by asking the

youths themselves (Saito 59). As the quotes above have

shown, youths are the only ones who know what youths

want. Imposing an adult perception of Council

representation is a limited view (Freeman Nairn Sligo

62). In addition, the trap for some adults is to recruit

either from the top, extrovert/leaders, or the bottom,

introvert/lacks identity/confidence, of the youth

spectrum, thereby excluding the middle where the

majority live. These extremes could cause division.

The second trap is for the group to target “easier”

youths, those more accessible, who float to the top, who

are natural leaders and team players. To consider your

Teen Council to be authentically inclusive, diverse and

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democratic, reaching out to youths on the fringe and in

the middle will reap benefits for all involved. The

Council must represent the community or it will be

considered elitist and won’t work. Identifying voices

that are rarely heard and are self-perceived to “lack

influence” (McNeish 200-1; Wyness 548) is the antithesis

of a Teen Council founded on YD principles.

The how and where to recruit is the next step.

Again, ask the teens on the Teen Council Advisory

Committee for their ideas.

How

Peer recruiting

Word-of-mouth

Social Media

Where

Go to where the teens congregate, e.g., movie

theaters, malls, arcades

Existing teen clubs in the community

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Participants in current Education programs

Referrals (from youths, teachers, parents,

staff, funders)

Schools, private, public and charter, by

teachers, counselors

Partner organizations with the theater

Parents of youths in the theater

Peacekeeping organizations that work with gangs

Organizations that work with juvenile detention

centers

Prior to actively recruiting, it will be necessary

to establish an articulated “pitch” to youths

articulating the purpose of the Teen Council using the

Vision statement, Goals and Objectives. The Advisory

Committee will also need to determine the expectations

(Roth et al. 443), job descriptions and youth

incentives. Expectations can address attendance, time-

commitment including weekly or monthly as well as

vacations both winter and summer. Behavioral

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expectations can include respect, empathy, listening,

patience and how to address youth/adult relationships.

Consequences for not respecting the stated expectations

must be clearly communicated to avoid vague

interpretations and confusion.

Job descriptions for the Teen Council youth members

and adults should be included in an orientation packet

along with the guidelines of expectations. And finally,

youths need a good reason to commit their time. The Teen

Council is competing against time with friends, social

media, TV, and “alternative” forms of entertainment.

Without significant incentives it will be extremely

challenging to recruit and retain a diverse group of

teens. Here are some suggestions assembled from a

variety of existing youth organizations including the

nine theater Teen Councils. Some of these incentives

carry “practical” or “wider” benefits (Arts Council

England Youth 43). Implementing these will depend on the

Council’s resources and relationships in the community:

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Food

Fun

Stipend

Salary

Service hours

Transportation: Travel costs, metro or bus passes

Public recognition: in program, theater’s website,

lobby poster, marketing materials, halls of

administration offices, etc.

Theater email address

Business cards

Board of Trustees seat (this is complicated but

worth the effort)

Leadership and organizing responsibilities e.g.,

talkback facilitator, workshop coordinator, etc.

High School or College course credit (ExpandED)

Training and career development opportunities

Trips including conferences and festivals

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Ladder of advancement, e.g. Council Chair, Council

Representative at theater’s executive meetings,

etc.

Mentorship opportunities with peers and younger

children involved in the theater

Awards

T-shirts

Recruiting challenges often start with a lack of or

misdirected marketing to get the word out in the

community of the opportunity available (Saito 59). This

is best brainstormed with the youths on the Teen Council

Advisory Committee. Publicizing the benefits of the Teen

Council with particular attention to autonomy and

leadership may pique interest. Mitigating barriers such

as accessibility and cost will open the field to a wider

group of perspective youths.

If the Teen Council is already established and is

under reconstruction, dispelling the Council’s old

reputation in the community must be addressed

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aggressively, and again, with youth guidance and voice.

Teens are wary of committing to something that could be

potentially boring or a waste of time. They are

activists at heart and need a cause to rally around, to

be excited about. Identify where the creative theater

kids are hiding, and you’ve found a fabulous source for

future Teen Council replenishing (Saito 70, 72).

The largest challenge will be communicating that

this Teen Council is based on youth/adult partnerships

and that adults are resources, supporters, and “have

your back.” They are not “teachers” talking at you.

There is reciprocal sharing of expertise between youths

and adults. It is not one-sided. This challenge is

similar to obtaining buy-in from the adults in the

organization. It will take ingenuity on the part of the

Advisory Committee to market adults in a positive light

to teenagers and vice versa. Consider experiential

marketing events to get potential teens in the room with

the YD-trained adults.

119

Once the recruitment phase is over, the formal path

to Teen Council membership must occur. The Teen Councils

assessed earlier generally had an application process,

some more rigorous and selective than others. The

question the Advisory Committee must address is if YD

principles are the foundation, how does that impact your

vision of accessibility to the Teen Council? Should

there be a path established similar to Goodman Theatre

where they recruit internally from youths currently

engaged in their other education programs? Is it a soft

hierarchal approach? At the Goodman Theatre, the

incoming Council participants are already familiar with

the theater and understand the players. They also enjoy

and feel at home in the theater’s culture and community

to the point where they are ready to take on more

responsibility as a Teen Council participant.

The other approach is to be all-inclusive, similar

to Berkeley Rep’s Teen Council. It is a large group with

less-defined leadership roles. Their approach, based on

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a statement made by their Director of Education, is to

“Aim for critical mass: As (sic) long as you’re busy

working with as many young people already interested in

theater, it has a chance to go viral” (Fulton).

There is no right or wrong way in which to assemble

a Teen Council. It will depend on many factors including

geography, depth of resources, staff, etc. The initial

recruitment approach will most likely be the first of

many. As the Council matures it will reveal strengths

and weaknesses in the recruiting and retention

processes.

Teen Council Structure

The Teen Council Advisory Committee should

determine the basic structure of the Council. It is

important to remain flexible as the Council matures and

the experience highlights strengths and weaknesses. If

proper assessment is in place, the structure can be

adjusted over time. Below are decisions that the

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Advisory Committee must determine prior to recruitment

and having the first Teen Council meeting:

How many Teen Council members?

Will there be specific Council positions such as

Chair, Co-Chairs, Secretary, Finance, Artistic,

Production, Development, Marketing, Education,

Board representatives, or Adult Partners/Advisors.

Clarity of roles for both adults and youths is

essential otherwise frustration will result from the

ambiguity (Arts Council England Youth 13). Teens will

leave a program if it is not engaging. I found this to

be the case with my own three daughters when they joined

clubs at school only to find there was no clear focus,

nothing on which to hang their hats. Defining roles is a

distribution of duties and power and should reflect that

the group has identified goals.

When are Teen Council meetings held? Weekly,

monthly, weekdays after school, weeknights,

weekends, over the summer, over vacations?

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Where will the Teen Council meetings be held? Is

there a dedicated space at the theater? Someone’s

home? If members are unable to attend is their

virtual capability, e.g., Skype? Do all Council

members have safe transportation and/or funds to

get to the meetings?

Who attends the meetings? Is there a general Teen

Council meeting with separate committee meetings

interspersed? Are these meetings mandatory? What

are the rules/expectations and consequences related

to attendance?

Meeting etiquette and structure:

Appoint Youth meeting facilitator

Have an agenda distributed prior to meeting.

Avoid too much formality (note to adults)

Make it fun (note to adults)

Take breaks

Serve food and beverages

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Use Skype or equivalent for those unavailable to

be “live”

Communication: Meeting notes should be distributed

via email. Establish a system for feedback. Types

of communication tools should be discussed and

agreed upon with the Teen Council Advisory

Committee. This should be addressed and adjusted

from time to time as technology shifts so quickly.

Some forms of communication to consider would be

Facebook, email, group texts, group cell-phone

voice mail, Twitter, Skype, instant messaging,

mailed newsletters (which may be new to the teens

and potentially effective).

Resource library: Most Education Departments will

have a library their staff utilizes. This could be

expanded to include useful information for the Teen

Council members. The library could include training

manuals on Youth Development such as ladders of

participation, meeting structure guidelines, Robert’s

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Rules of Order (Robert), the parent theater’s official

by-laws, staff organizational ladder, Board of

Trustees contact information, plays, list of

community partners and history of initiatives.

Committees: Create issue-oriented working groups

which “…offer a flexible, wide range of issues and

structures” (Wyness 43-5). Committee assignments

should reflect developmental stages of the youths

(Zeldin et al. 2001, 115). For example, a

Governance Committee may be more appropriate for

older youth and the Events Committee for younger

members.

When conceiving committees and roles for the

Teen Council members it is important to reflect on

the YD attributes of Imbedded Curriculum and Cycles of

planning, practice, performance. These will keep the

Council focused on achieving YD skills and avoiding

tokenism. Remember to have clarity on the

responsibilities and expectations of the Council

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members’ roles. The steps to take are: determine

the committees, identify the Chairs, and decide

whether the Chair position will rotate. The

following is a list of potential Committees:

Recruitment and Retention: This committee

ensures continual flow of prospective members

and an informal group to assess membership

efficacy. They manage the application,

admission, orientation and training of new Teen

Council members.

Assessment: This group establishes a system of

assessing the Teen Council that will be used to

improve its function as well as provide ‘hard’

results to the theater’s funders, and

Development and Marketing Departments.

Board Representatives: A controversial topic,

but for those theaters interested in attaining

the highest level of Youth Participation, Teen

Council presence as official members of the

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theater’s Board of Trustees is the ultimate

goal. A minimum of two youth representatives is

ideal (Funders 15).

Executive Meeting Representatives: For theaters

who have executive staff meetings, these

representatives validate the Teen Council as an

arm of the theater. Attending staff meetings is

a very useful way to keep lines of communication

open and to ‘market’ the Teen Council’s efficacy

to the theater’s staff. The meeting times could

conflict with school, but perhaps these could be

accommodated.

Community Partnerships: This group canvasses the

local community identifying potential

organizations that would benefit from a

partnership with the Teen Council and the

theater.

Events: This group plans, organizes and executes

social events for the Teen Council as well as

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for their peers both inside the theater and

outside. These events could include talkbacks,

parties for opening nights, fund raisers, and

networking opportunities (perhaps around a

theater’s Gala).

IT/Media: These would be teens that develop and

manage the Teen Council’s social media, blogs,

digital newsletter, etc.

Marketing: These members partner with the Events

and IT Committee’s to promote the Teen Council’s

events to the general public.

Professional Development: This group determines

who and what type of workshops to bring in for

the Teen Council membership.

Artistic: Depending on the theater, this may

involve attending season selection meetings for

the theater so that Teen Council events or

community partnerships can be aligned to the

theater’s artistic content.

128

Production: Members are responsible for any

production elements required by other committees

including sound, lights, furniture, supplies,

etc.

Governance: This would be the Committee Chairs

or others who organize each Teen Council

meeting. Their responsibilities would include

composing the agenda, Teen Council youth

contract, supplying food, reserving the space or

serving as the Board of Trustees youth

representatives.

Finance: This committee establishes and manages

the Teen Council’s budget.

It is incumbent on the adult partners to give the

teenagers plenty of room to organize themselves as they

see fit. It will not necessarily be how adults would

approach committee work. Over time, however, there will

be an exchange of best practice ideas between the adults

and youths as they navigate these new skills. Again,

129

this is the strength of YD programs. It is in the

process where the experiences and learning takes place.

The Council must be a safe, stable environment in

which to fail and succeed. The adults will assist and

act as mediators when problems arise. The YD field

agrees that successful programs must have a “caring,

competent adult…” (Roth et al. 444). In some communities

the Teen Council will be the only safe place for some

youths, “…it’s the only world they have” (Do You Think).

Establishing the Teen Council environment directly

relates to the YD attribute of a Caring Community.

Training

The YD training of the adult Teen Council partners

should not be overlooked. Granted, there is a shortage

of time in a day, but if the commitment is to establish

a council with YD principles, the staff involved must

have knowledge. Some topics that should be covered

include intergenerational work, power and Youth/Adult

130

Partnerships. A University of Oxford study (Morton 11)

compiled a list from youth of attributes they respect in

an adult facilitator:

Listening to all youth voices

Making each youth feel valuable

Coming to youths’ level as a friend

Not picking ‘favorites’

Patience with youths’ learning paces

Ensuring lots of engaging, structured

activities

Of course training alone is not sufficient. It will

require a combination of both training and experience to

nurture impactful adult partners (Camino 18).

The training for youths on the Teen Council will be

the responsibility of the adult partners. This could be

considered part of the orientation materials for new

Teen Council members. Materials to include:

Theater’s mission statement

History of the parent theater

131

Teen Council’s vision, goals and objectives

YD overview and level of participation

Organization’s staff chart

Teen Council policies and contract

Contact list

Committee list and breakdown

Community relationships

Budget

Tips for Youth Participation (Morton 140)

You belong

Ask questions

Make your work interesting

Change what you don’t like

Attend all meetings

Have fun

The point is not to make a secret of employing YD

strategies. Openly acknowledging and debating YD would

be useful for both adults and the teens.

132

Challenges

The idea of establishing a Teen Council may sound

relatively straight forward. However, to achieve an

authentic and meaningful YD Teen Council understanding

potential challenges could make for an easier journey.

Many of the challenges are managed during the theater’s

readiness assessment as well as in training. For

example, power dynamics and stereotypes can often be

addressed when campaigning for buy-in for the Teen

Council. The conversations will inevitably touch on both

these sticking points. The key for the Teen Council

Advisory Committee is to be prepared.

Below is an overview of challenges a Teen Council

will most likely encounter. The solutions to overcome

these are based on common sense and practical

strategies, the most important of which is to have both

the teenagers and adults experience working together

(Child Rights 2; Zeldin 2001, 8). This is the most

direct way in which to alter misperceptions. One of the

133

most stunning realities is how much the success of a YD

Teen Council will hinge on the extent to which adult

behavior shifts.

Power

Adult reluctance to give it up and youth

reluctance to take it.

There is a need for “traditional” roles to shift

(Zeldin, Camino, Mook 123).

Solutions

o Allowing youths to watch the process enough to

feel confident to take on the responsibilities

and be accountable for the work or product.

There will come a point when the adults can

hand over the reigns, step back and mentor

rather than lead. The adult’s role is to

“foster…encourage, and also guide” (Mitra 533-

4).

o The burden is on the adults to shift their

mindset to genuinely embrace and respect

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teenagers as having expertise from which to

learn and compliment their own (Bernier 138).

o Experiences working or observing youths in

action. “Nothing changes an adult’s opinion

quicker than a young person who is properly

prepared” (Zeldin et al 2001 50).

Adultism

…is a term applied to any behavior,

action, language, or limitation placed on

young people’s rights that does not

afford them the respect they deserve as

human beings. It is often predicated on

the belief that, because someone is

young, he or she lacks intelligence or

ability. (Youth on Board 13)

Solutions will be the same for Power and

Stereotypes.

Stereotypes

135

Teenagers are perceived as undependable,

hormonal, untrustworthy and narcissistic, among

other things (Percy-Smith, Thomas 15; Zeldin,

Camino, Calvert 11). Not surprisingly, teens

can pick up on these misperceptions (Wyness

210). “Nothing reinforces a stereotype quicker

than experiences that substantiate already-held

beliefs. It is the organization’s fault if

adults are allowed to maintain their stereotypes

because the youth selected are not trained”

(Zeldin et al. 2001, 50).

Adults are perceived by youths as not willing to

listen and having low expectations. Here is an

excerpt from the International Journal of Children’s Rights,

that I believe illustrates a universal

perception of adults by youths:

o “M.W.: What do you think of that debate

that you had with the bus companies?

o Lindsay: I disliked some of their

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attitudes. A lot of adults see the council

as just some little organisation, which

shouldn’t actually do anything.

o James: I find them patronising. I felt

patronised at one point. It really annoyed

me because they were talking down on me

because I was a kid or something.

o Lindsay: That’s the problem, some adults

don’t actually have much respect for us.

All they see is a bunch of teenagers

sitting around shouting”(Wyness 108).

Solutions will be a shift in attitude through

the exchange of and experience with what both

adults and teenagers can bring to the table

(Zeldin et al 2002).

Tokenism

As is illustrated in La Jolla Theater’s Student

Board of Trustees and with the Portland Center

Stage’s Teen Council, the level of youth

137

participation is tokenistic. The visions for

these two councils unfortunately do not reflect

reality. Their low level of Youth Participation

most likely is due to lack of support from the

adults and a limited understanding of how to

implement a meaningful council. “Too many

organizations value youth participation over

properly prepared youth participation” (Zeldin

et al. 2001, 50).

Participation can often be misconstrued as

merely allowing youths to express views versus

encouraging Cycles of planning, practice and performance

and decision-making opportunities (Percy-Smith

110).

Solution: A review of the youth councils may be

in order (Freeman Nairn Sligo 66) as well as

training of the Education staff on YD theory to

identify a realistic and meaningful level of

participation.

138

Traps

Adults lose patience and take over projects

rather than letting youth participants fail and

learn.

o Solution: Let the teens learn from their

failures.

Lack of program clarity resulting in one that is

too loose, too controlled or not engaging.

o Solution: Advisory Committee is clear on

the Council’s vision, objectives and goals.

Recruitment: Lack of diversity and inclusivity

in youths recruited.

o Cast a wide net.

Assessment

The field of non-profit organizations understands

assessment is key to maintaining quality education

139

programs and funding these initiatives. With YD as the

foundation for the Teen Council, the assessment

methodology can mature from one that is cursory

(Bechtold, Moore 2) and guided by outside decision

makers, to one that is focused on identifying tangible

and meaningful YD outcomes.

In the spirit of YD, assessment is an opportunity

to actively include teenagers in the process as well as

their experiences as end-users. The YD field

overwhelmingly points to the benefits of including youth

in research and assessment. An impactful argument for

having teens self-assess is the ability to learn

directly from their successes and failures (Hamilton,

Hamilton 37-8). Leaders in the YD field, Checkoway and

Richards-Schuster neatly articulated the benefits of

including youth in their paper, Youth Participation in

Evaluation and Research as a Way of Lifting New Voices:

When young people asked their own questions

rather than ones given by adult authorities,

140

gathered their own information rather than

uncritically accepted that of others, and

formulated their own strategy rather than

stayed with the status quo, it benefited them,

their organizations, and the communities of

which they were [a] part. (91)

YD integrated into assessment models enables youth

programs to track specific outcomes of youth

participants utilizing the Five Cs; Competence,

Confidence, Character, , Connections, Contribution, as

well as transferable personal, cognitive, cultural

social, creative, civic, and political competencies. As

Education departments struggle to articulate program

outcomes, reconfiguring their models with YD outcomes

will simplify their jobs and produce far more tangible

outcomes than past, open-ended assessments.

Assessment is, of course, not only about youth

outcomes but also about program efficacy. In addition to

traditional questions, consider including those

141

assessing your theater’s level of youth participation. A

useful resource is the NSW Commission for Children &

Young People, Participation: Checking the Scoreboard, Coach’s

Handbook (Taking PARTicipation). This publication

includes worksheets for both adult partners and youths.

Another useful YD assessment form is from the Community

Youth Connection’s PAAT or Program Activity Assessment Tool

(Community Youth Connection). This too has worksheets

and online assessment resources to determine levels of

YD.

The word “assessment” is not typically greeted with

open arms by an Education staff. The pressure to

continuously produce documented outcomes of programs is

time-consuming. I would propose that the Teen Council or

its “assessment” committee take this on. With the

guidance of staff, over time the teens could develop,

execute and summarize the assessment results. And if the

end-users are part of the process, why not have them

disseminate the findings? Boards, funders and staff

142

would undoubtedly respond positively. And it’s another

way for adults to experience teens in action.

Funding

Assessment of Education programs is currently a

priority in the non-profit sector. Funding for these

programs is equally important. As theaters struggle with

cutbacks from federal and state funding sources the

competition for funds and the pressure to justify the

efficacy of their initiatives is a top priority. The

good news is Education Departments continue to be

popular for funders. Paradoxically, most often these

revenues are redirected elsewhere in the theater.

Perhaps targetting different funding sources who require

YD as a foundation will alter this trend. With YD

imbedded in an Education Department program new funding

opportunities are available (Appendix C). For those

writing the grant proposals, YD is a new story to tell

your existing and future funders. This is another

143

opportunity to partner with teens on researching and

writing the grant proposals.

Conclusion

Youth Development theory is a necessary foundation

for the successful implementation of a Teen Council.

Within this foundation Youth Participation, Youth

Empowerment, and Youth/Adult Partnerships are principles

which organizations should use to achieve desired youth

outcomes. The actionable youth outcomes are the Five Cs:

Competence, Confidence, Character, Connections, and

Contribution. These provide a framework from which a

regional theater can develop and sustain an effective

Teen Council.

The assessment of the nine Teen Councils highlights

the spectrum of what a Teen Council can achieve. Those

theaters that demonstrate the lowest level of

participation reflect a lack of engagement from the

adult partners and little understanding, even

144

instinctually, of YD theory. The theaters with the

highest levels of YD engage in committed and meaningful

youth-lead activities both internally and out in their

communities. The extent to which YD is present in a Teen

Council will depend on the adult partners and how

skilled they are at providing YD guidance.

The Manual presents a practical guide for the

implementation of a Teen Council. When considering an

initiative’s structure and level of YD, researchers

recommend using “…principles of maximum participation

rather than to a ‘model of practice’” (Zeldin et al.

2001, 46).

In the future, I would propose visiting the nine

Teen Councils and speaking directly with the youth

participants and their adult partners to determine the

actual level of YD in their councils. Providing an

opportunity for both youths and adult partners to

reflect on their experiences will help to inform future

regional theater Teen Councils.

145

The second project for the future would be to

conduct a comprehensive review of regional theater

Education Department programming with an eye towards the

presence of YD in all theater programming, for all age

groups. Identifying best practices and communicating

these among Education Departments has the potential to

greatly improve upon existing practices and reinvigorate

how arts educators choose to think about their

educational programming. Assembling a consortium of

existing regional theater Teen Councils could provide

mutual support as well as models and resources for

future Councils.

The roles for teenagers in regional theaters are

limitless. The 4-H organization, for instance, is a

success story on how it is possible to shift from an

adult-centered to youth-centered and youth-lead

structure (Zeldin et al. 2002). It would be exciting to

see regional theaters break their traditional education

molds and bring the voices of youths into higher circles

146

of responsibility such as artistic programming decisions

or even into the board room. The field of Theater for

Young Audiences is another area that would benefit by

embracing YD. Bringing youths to the season programming

table makes all the sense in the world. Who better to

help inform TYA choices than youths themselves?

Increasing the visibility of existing Teen Councils

within regional theaters must continue. This work has

already begun on a small scale with Berkeley Rep’s Teen

Council and Steppenwolf’s Young Adult Council. As of

2010, their Teen Council participants have been

attending the annual TCG conferences, participating in

all the conference events and hosting their own breakout

sessions. The Council members’ presence at a typically

adult-centered event is game changing. As a Berkeley

Teen Council member reflected in her blog:

…the room was filled with not just arts

education specialists, but marketing,

managing, [and] artistic directors from a

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variety of theatres around the nation eager to

hear our point of view and learn ways to

include teens in their theatres! (Fields)

Unfortunately memories are short-lived. Despite the

excitement stirred by the Teen Council members, only a

few theaters returned home and subsequently implemented

a Council.

The persistent presence and voices of Teen Council

participants must continue in order to raise awareness

and visibility of teenagers as indispensable

participants. Taking the first step toward embracing

teenagers as partners and resources is uncomfortable.

However, with the research and guidelines I have

provided, the vision can be realized.

Hopefully, this thesis will inspire regional

theaters to embrace the voices of theater-passionate

youth through meaningful participation. They are the

theater industry’s present and future. With

determination and commitment to improving the status and

148

efficacy of the nation’s young people, theaters across

the United States have an unprecedented opportunity to

transform existing misperceptions of teenagers, empower

them for their future and continue to cultivate the

importance of theater in American society.

149

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Appendix A

Text From United Nations Treaty on the Rights of the

Child

Article 12

“1. States Parties shall assure to the child who is

capable of forming his or her own views the right to

express those views freely in all matters affecting the

child, the views of the child being given due weight in

accordance with the age and maturity of the child.

2. For this purpose, the child shall in particular be

provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and

administrative proceedings affecting the child, either

directly, or through a representative or an appropriate

body, in a manner consistent with the procedural rules

of national law.

Article 13

1. The child shall have the right to freedom of

expression; this right shall include freedom to seek,

178

receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds,

regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in

print, in the form of art, or through any other media of

the child's choice.

2. The exercise of this right may be subject to certain

restrictions, but these shall only be such as are

provided by law and are necessary:

(a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others;

or

(b) For the protection of national security or of public

order, or of public health or morals.

Article 14

1. States Parties shall respect the right of the child

to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

2. States Parties shall respect the rights and duties of

the parents and, when applicable, legal guardians, to

provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or

her right in a manner consistent with the evolving

capacities of the child.

179

3. Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be

subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by

law and are necessary to protect public safety, order,

health or morals, or the fundamental rights and freedoms

of others.”

"Convention on the Rights of the Child." Convention on the

Rights of the Child. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/

pages/crc.aspx>.

180

Appendix B

Roger Hart’s Ladder of Participation

181

(Hart 1992, 8)

182

Appendix C

Funding Sources

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

http://www.mellon.org/grant_programs/programs/

performing-arts/arts

Annenberg Challenge

http://annenberginstitute.org/challenge/about/

about_2.html

Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development

http://carnegie.org/programs/urban-and-higher-

education/new-designs-innovation-in-classroom-

school-college-and-system-design/

http://carnegie.org/programs/past-commissions-

councils-and-task-forces/carnegie-council-for-

advancing-adolescent-literacy/families-and-

communities/

Ford Foundation

http://www.fordfoundation.org/issues/educational-

opportunity-and-scholarship

183

Funders Collaborative on Youth Organizing

http://www.fcyo.org

Hearst Foundations

http://www.hearstfdn.org/funding-priorities/

culture/funding-priorities-in-education/

Heinz

http://www.heinz.com/CSR2011/social/

Hewlett Foundation

http://www.hewlett.org/grants/grantseekers

Lilly Endowment Program on Youth and Caring

http://www.lillyendowment.org/guidelines.html

National Corporate Theater Fund

http://www.nctf.org/cgi-bin/home.php

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Research

Network on Child and Family Well-being

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/

funding_program.htm #78

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

http://www.rwjf.org/content/rwjf/en/grants.htm

184

State Farm

http://www.statefarm.com/aboutus/community/

grants/grants.asp

Surdna Foundation

http://www.surdna.org/annualreport2010/

thrivingcultures.html

www.surdna.org/thriving-economies/guidelines

United Way: This is a region-based organization that

will require state or local offices for grant

information. They have supported YD in North

Carolina.

http://www.unitedway.org/

Wallace foundation

www.wallacefoundation.org

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Youth Innovation Fund

www.wkkf.org

W.T Grand Foundation on Work and Family

185

http://www.wtgrantfoundation.org/

funding_opportunities/service-improvement-grants/

youth_service_improvement

Youth Development Theory as Foundation for a Regional Theater Teen Council

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