There are several factors that make youth engagement happen. However, today’s popular forms of youth engagement generally don’t acknowledge those factors.

Whether or not a young person is going to become engaged is determined by three things:

• the social and economic environment
• the physical environment, and
• the person’s individual characteristics and behaviors

The ways young people live determine their engagement. Because of this, blaming youth for being disengaged from particular activities or issues or crediting them for being engaged in ways you approve of is inappropriate.

Youth are unlikely to be able to directly control many of the factors affecting youth engagement.

You Might Like…

• Youth Involvement Toolkit
• Youth Voice Tools
• Adultism Toolkit

Elsewhere Online

• The Practice of Youth Engagement by Adam Fletcher
• An Introduction to Youth Engagement in the Economy by Adam Fletcher
• A Unique Guide to Youth Engagement by Adam Fletcher 
• The Freechild Project Youth Engagement Workshop Guide 

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Other tools are out there, too – share your thoughts in the comments below! For more information about how The Freechild Project can support youth engagement in your community or organization, contact us.