Youth Leadership: Personal and Professional Development

Short summary

Dance4Life has built an online platform, the Academy4Life, on which youth advocates can work on their professional and personal skills, such as public speaking and effective influencing. CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality (CHOICE) has developed a training package with sessions that is focused on creating an environment in which participants can get to know themselves and what kind of youth leader they would like to be. Other sessions focus on communication skills, body language, presentation, pitching, working in teams and more.

What capacity strengthening support can we provide on this topic? 

Working in large partnerships such as RHRN and being involved in (inter)national advocacy processes require certain (new) skills. We want to contribute to strengthening and sustaining strong youth advocates and CSO’s by offering a leadership trajectory for all youth advocates involved in the program. 

What could the CS look like? 

The program Dance4life offers on the Academy4Life - but that can be contextualized and adapted - is a trajectory that consists of six online modules that all offer interesting content, assignments, personalized feedback and coaching. 

• The time-investment for youth advocates joining the trajectory is 2 hours per week, for a time period of 4 weeks to 3 months, based upon your selection of modules. 
• The modules have been co-created and tested by youth advocates and have been highly valued for their design, youth-friendly and fun way of learning and relevant content. 
• The Youth Leadership Training Manual of CHOICE: a three-day facilitators guide packed full with interactive and fun sessions that guarantee to inspire, participate and promote self-reflection. Unfortunately, this manual cannot be shared externally.

What tools are available? 

• The innovative and youth-friendly platform the Academy4Life (Academy4Life - YouTube). All modules that are offered within the Academy4Life can be adapted and contextualised to the needs of the country team or youth advocates. Organisations can also develop their own modules on the Academy4Life platform.
• The Youth Leadership Training Manual - developed and offered by CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality 

What languages can this CS support be provided in? 

English and French (dependent on availability of French speaking staff/translators). The modules can also be translated into French if required.