orsini model

After over two decades of work and research with children and teenagers, it seems that collaboration is a good way to approach things. The model we have come to use (below) evolves from work in art, education and sustainability and it is the basis for all the projects, training and workshops that we participate in - with children, teenagers and adult participants.

Building on the Doris Marshall Institute's spiral model (referenced by colleagues at The Change Agency) and its 'twist'. The model below incorporates the element of recurence - where youth groups form or splinter off existing groups and work together on a specific activity before re-forming in some manner with new members and/or new activity plans.

This model is also the focus of Ch. 10 Learning without Teaching

in the book Emancipatory Practices: Adult/Youth Engagement for Social and Ecological Justice (Sense Publishers, 2010).

View the model; larger format, français, español (123kB)

There are a number of variables that direct the flow within this model; the urban form of the community, the buy-in from the school administrator, the rationale/invitation that brought in an adult facilitator, the level of personal interest of a lead/contact teacher, the age and initial motivation of the student leaders, the amount of in-school time allotted to this project and the character and experience of the adult facilitator.

This model is the framework for adult facilitator training workshops and support offered by Urbanthinkers - www.urbanthinkers.ca The first stage is summarized below along with an example from the author‟s work experience.

1. recruitment – It is preferable to work with a small group of student leaders where attendance is voluntary. In that way, those who attend have already identified some sense of personal commitment to the issue or a new challenge ...or else to a friend who coaxed them to come along. Once a child or youth has shown-up, the adult facilitator‟s task is to demonstrate a process that will value each participant‟s input while offering skill-building and fun, tangible actions.

Sometimes, a school will require child and youth engagement with an entire class. (This removes the "voluntary‟ nature of engagement.) In these circumstances, recruitment is already established, but quick motivation becomes a priority.

At an Auckland high school, I was invited in to ̳encourage the cyclists to wear their helmets‘. I explained that this message would be better received if it came from the cyclists themselves. To do that, we arranged a lunch- hour session start to a bike club. Our only promotion was for me to arrive early that morning and ̳hang out at the bike racks‘ (with the principal‘s permission & a Visitor badge) and talk it up and hand-out flyers to each person who rode to school that morning.

etc...