YOUTH INVOLVEMENT in MYNA National

Draft (to be approved in Winter program after reviewing comments by youth and advisors)

Basic elements:

#1: non-voting individual youth members - open to middle school and high school students

benefits to youth members:
-notification of all opportunities available in local area for gaining knowledge, acquiring leadership experience, performing community service
-advance notification of all youth programs organized by MYNA
-opportunity to be on MYNA task forces and program organizing committees
-discounts and other members only benefits

benefits to MYNA:
-a youth base to report to and gain relevancy from
-source of gaining knowledge about what youth need and want from MYNA
-source of volunteers and participants for MYNA youth programs



#2: volunteer youth organizers - open to all individual youth members

benefits to youth:
-empowerment through organizing MYNA events for youth, “by youth”
-opportunity to gain experience and understanding of issues beyond the local environment

benefits to MYNA:
-youth input and involvement in MYNA events for increased relevance
-energetic volunteers to organize events
-generate individuals with event organizing skills for future leadership




#3: affiliated local youth groups - open to all local youth organizations

benefits to affiliated groups:
-empowerment through organizing special MYNA activities in addition to their regular local activities
-access to MYNA database to improve their organization and its activities
-access to youth group resources including seed money for youth organized events
-opportunity to host MYNA youth programs
-opportunity to network with other youth groups including coordinating regional events with groups in other cities through MYNA

benefits to MYNA:
-opportunity to have MYNA programs made available to youth in that city without MYNA having to maintain a staff to organize them from outside
-opportunity for MYNA youth programs to run concurrently in various places
-opportunity to have a MYNA youth program be organized by youth that already work together and know the resources available at the host city
-generate individuals with knowledge and experience in the local environment for future leadership



LOCAL MYNA YOUTH GROUPS

MYNA feels that the empowerment of youth is integral to the growth and development of not only the youth but also the local community. This empowerment can come in many forms, and MYNA can help local communities develop the best strategy for their specific local environment. MYNA’s traditional form of empowerment is the local youth group. When it comes to organizational structure and composition, each youth group has its own unique characteristics that come from the local environment. Regardless, there are a few things that are common to all MYNA youth groups:

-activity ideas are generated by the youth, adults are there to give advice
-activities are executed by the youth, adults are there to give support
-boys and girls work together unless there is a special need to have separate activities



MYNA’s theory on what youth groups do: The local youth leaders and advisors determine what is needed in their own environment. There are things that individuals can do by themselves that can be done on a larger scale when done as a group. There are other things that only groups can do. There are certain things that are provided by other community institutions, leaving the youth group open for opportunities that youth cannot find elsewhere. Regardless of what type of activity it is: service, educational, or recreational; that the youth organize the local activity is as important as the activity itself.


YOUTH IN MYNA’s ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: the 80/20 rule
in local youth work and events sponsored, supported, or organized by MYNA, for every 8 youth there should be 2 adults.