• Facilitator Guide

• Recruitment

• Facilitator How To

• YDM Process

• Meeting Outline

• A Typical Meeting

• Evaluation

Using The Young Decision Makers (YDM) Model

In each site, we will walk the group through the Young Decision Makers (YDM) Model. This model is participatory in that it allows group members to thoroughly explore an issue starting with their individual experiences. STUDY. DISCUSS. DECIDE. INFORM (perhaps Todd can create a cool graphic for each similar to the how he's done it for the four pillars)

STUDYING THE ISSUE

During this process, groups in the three sites will first spend time identifying their own experiences related to the topic of violence in young women's lives. Once group members can connect to the issue from an individual perspective, they can begin connecting with other group members experiences and perspectives and then become engaged with their immediate group. After learning from themselves and others, participants will begin to research the issues they've identified to determine trends as identified by researchers, potential solutions to any issues that come up and strategies for their community. They will also begin to assess their community needs. Questions to stimulate discussion in this phase should focus on connecting group members to the topic (e.g. asking members for their own experiences or opinions on the topic). Questions should also be focused on any gender-based differences at all three levels. Are their important similarities or differences in what young men and young women are saying about the issues? Does the needs assessment identify similarities or differences in what is happening in the community for young men and women? If so what are these and how can they be addressed. Facilitators should spend as much time as possible making sure they go through this phase thoroughly so that they can have all the information they need to address the issue.

At the end of this phase, participants will have a clear understanding of what particular issue of violence in young women's lives they'd like to discuss and take action on (e.g.relationship violence, parental violence, verbal violence, bullying etc.)

DISCUSSING THE ISSUE

With all the information gathered during the studying phase on individual experiences, group experiences and community perspectives. Participants can now begin to ask questions of each other in how they are going to address the issue. What steps do they need to take in order to successfully address the issue in their communities. During this phase participants should be actively reaching out to other young people affected by the issue and other young people who may want to address the issue. Facilitators should work with young people to connect them to different organizations that may be willing to partner up or may have resources. Through their discussions, participants will begin to form ideas on how they will take action on the issue. Questions that may come up include: What will the workshop they develop for schools and community centres look like? What will this look like, how will they get it done, who do they need to connect with? Are there opportunities for partnership anywhere etc. Partcipants may choose to come up with several different options so that they can make a decision on the issue. Group participants will also take time working through the evaluation committee to decide the best methods in which to measure success and to identify objectives.

DECIDING ON ACTION

Once participants have come up with some potential actions through the workshops on their identified community issues. They will make decisions on how to proceed. First participants need to decide how to decide. They need to decide how they will come to a consensus on their action plan. There are a number of decision-making tools (check out the YDM toolkit) that participants can use when trying to make decisions on the issues. Once these processes are in place, they can then decide. Once a decision is made on the content and the plan for the workshop, participants can begin deciding on how they will get their workshops out to the community and how the training for the workshops will proceed.

INFORMING DECISION MAKERS

The community workshops will be the key method in which to inform decision makers. Group members will have to work with their facilitators to identify the youth, young adults and community partners that they believe need to be a part of the project. Questions that may be asked include who should receive the workshops, who should deliver the workshops, where should the workshops occur etc. Participants will also determine what sustaining factors they will need in place in order to see the project through (e.g. human resources, financial resources etc.)

By using this process, young people will have the chance to throughly address the issues starting from their own perspectives. :)

Click here to view and/or download the YDM Toolkit which gives examples and worksheets for using the model during an event or meeting.

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