Critical Youth Empowerment: Engaging Young People in Transformative Community Actions Around the Globe

• In Event: Engaging Critical Voices of Youth Across Multiple Settings

Abstract

Grounded in a Freirean critical tradition, this presentation will focus on the findings from a systematic literature review regarding a social model of Critical Youth Empowerment (CYE). Using international examples, our talk will highlight the justice-oriented outcomes of CYE programming on marginalized and non-marginalized youth populations. We unpack the current dimensions of this model through work being done by youth practitioners and educators in the field, and we examine whether the dimensions of this model work in concert to engage youth in critically reflexive and reflective practices that facilitate youth engagement in sociopolitical action to effect social change.

Authors

• Louise B. Jennings, Colorado State University

• Ross Atkinson, Colorado State University - Fort Collins