YouthScape: A Funder’s Perspective

Based on a funder’s experience, this paper discusses the design, implementation and evaluation of a complex, emerging initiative. It explores the diversity of strategies – healing, empowering, engaging, and organizing – that community organizations can adopt for involving marginalized young people in community development activities. Some vital lessons were learned: creating authentic spaces for intergenerational learning and action stretches individuals out of their comfort zones and challenges mainstream organizations’ governance structures and tolerance for risk. As well, breakthroughs at the policy and structural level are usually preceded by widespread behavioural and cultural shifts.