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Integrating Web 2.0 into Youth Programming

Published on August 19, 2009

By Anthony Brunner, Peter Kirschmann, Mary Pumphrey and Oanh Vu of Youth Media Reporter

If you work with youth, you know that they are interacting online. They are creating and posting content and remixing, commenting on, and mashing up content created by others. New Web 2.0 tools, which encompass sites allowing for collaborative, dynamic, user generated content, are quickly becoming ubiquitous in everyday life.

Our interest in these tools came about through reflection on our own programs and those of our peers, which include varied views and uses of Web 2.0 tools at different youth serving organizations in the Twin Cities. Many sites are using Web 2.0 tools for outreach and marketing; however, we found that many of our Americorps co-workers were utilizing Web 2.0 tools within their organizations in ways beyond general program outreach.

Contributors to this article are members of a newly emerging generation of youth workers, who have grown up with these technologies and are aware of the possibilities surrounding them. To better inform our colleagues in the field, we interviewed a few of our peers as we identify the field's unique position to integrate Web 2.0 as a critical component in the process of youth-produced media.

Web 2.0 and the Field

One of the benefits to using these tools in youth programming comes from an important idea behind both Web 2.0 and youth media: connections between different individuals. These technologies can be a powerful tool to build a sense of community in your program as well as provide opportunities to connect with members of the community at large. These connections, if made, would allow for youth to develop crucial networking skills, as well as work with educators and professionals on collaborative lessons and projects.

Similar to youth media programs, these new technology tools provide an opportunity for self-expression. Youth are already using new technology tools to create content and develop self-identites outside of youth programs. For example, the 2008 research study Youth Work and Social Networking surveyed relevant literature and included "creativity and self expression" in their list of online opportunities provided by social networking sites (Davies and Cranston, 2008). According to their review, "social networking sites are hubs of teen content creating activity" with 39% of American teens sharing creative content online (Lenhart and Madden in Davies, 2008).

Additionally, the connections made by Web 2.0 tools can increase the distribution of media pieces created with new audiences and encourage additional discussion within local and national communities. Tapping into existing public social networking sites (such as participants existing Facebook network), youth media specific networks (such as the National Youth Media Access Youth Media Exchange Network), or creating additional online outlets (such as a program blog) can ensure that the media is seen.

For instance, youth in a local school use blogging, video, and digital photography as tools for reflection with the guidance of teachers and youth workers. The distribution of their blog posts to the larger community (including teachers, peers, and parents) led to conversations offline that may never have occurred without the students' blogs.

Finally, Web 2.0 tools in a youth media context provide a learning opportunity for safe and appropriate online strategies. Several studies have examined the importance of bringing new technology tools and youth working together. That same study found that "young people need support to develop the appropriate skills and resilience to navigate online social networking risks and opportunities." Drawing on preexisting relationships and positive youth development skills, youth media professionals can model positive online practices, providing an opportunity for youth participants to explore and develop skills in a safe setting.

See what our colleagues have to say in the video, “Youth Work and Web 2.0 Buzz: Mentor Buzz” here:

Challenges and Obstacles

Although many youth media programs recognize the benefits of Web 2.0, the organizations we interviewed cited a few recurring challenges.

The biggest is lack of training or knowledge about how to use it within youth development programs. Most of the program staff we interviewed said they received no formal training, relying on trial and error or their peers to teach them. More troubling is the fact that when problems arise, there are no subject matter experts to turn to for support. Zoua Pha of the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) explained that when she has technical errors, her only choice is to email the website and hope for a response.

Moreover, it's difficult to resolve technical difficulties when not enough time was allotted within programming for students to use Web 2.0 tools. Both Callie Recknagel of Eco Education and Dan Haeg of SMM spoke of the frustration of securing computer and internet access for in class work with youth over the course of an entire program. Both said they felt limited access to computers during programming made it even more challenging to integrate Web 2.0 use effectively. Ultimately, Recknagel said she felt the project "wasn't given the amount of time it needed to be successful."

Suggestions to the Field

Inform young people how they can use Web 2.0 to connect within the youth media field.Through appropriate software and education, Youth Workers can use Web 2.0 tools in order to foster connections between youth, staff, and even other programs and individuals. The SMM has used NING, a social networking client, to build community within its various youth programs, as well as a collaborative tool with other programs across the country. Youth can share various types of media amongst members of their network, as well as reflect on programming. Another Twin Cities youth program, supported by Eco Education, uses web forums to connect youth with area educators and professionals, resulting in opportunities for both education and networking.

Use Web 2.0 as a tool of reflection and self-expression. Youth workers can incorporate the reflection process that's already part of the youth media into Web 2.0 tools. For instance, the blogging by students at Partnership Academy provides the most direct parallel. Students were guided through the process of documenting and reflecting on class activities through text, photos, and video. The blogging provided both a more rich reflection process and the ability to share reflections with peers.

Provide a safe and supportive learning environment. Ben Kantor of Project Pride for Living (PPL) reminds us that it is important to make sure you have a conversation about online safety before you begin using these technologies. At PPL the youth's blogs were publically viewable, so staff took steps to protect youth's safety by requiring youth to post anonymously. Staff also provided online safety training for participating youth.

Staff at SMM avoided the dangers associated with Web 2.0 tools by making their social networking sites closed systems—only the staff and youth involved in the programs could access this information. They also made it clear to their youth that these websites were for program use only, and that the youth needed to represent themselves in a professional manner. By doing so, program managers were able to have a conversation with youth about how they wanted to represent themselves online.

Develop a support network for Web 2.0 training and troubleshooting. While there are no experts or institutions to help youth workers with Web 2.0 issues, they can create their own networks by hosting workshops, online forums, or webinars that will help youth workers meet, share tools, and discuss issues they are facing. The key is to enhance communication and collaboration.

Integrate Web 2.0 tools intentionally within your program. If you are going to use Web 2.0 tools make sure that you are doing it for the right reason. Ultimately these tools are just that: additions to programming, not programs. Find Web 2.0 tools that complement the work you are already doing and be transparent with the youth about the role of these tools within your program. If you are going to use these tools, make sure that you provide time within programming to use them. As SMM's Keith Braafladt said, "like any tool, [Web 2.0] is only valuable if you're going to use it. It’s valuable if you're going to continue to use it and support it, it’s valuable if you're going to value it.

Take the digital divide into account. Be aware that possible lack of access perpetuated by the "Digital Divide" may create situations within programming where youth with access may be able to utilize Web 2.0 tools outside of normal program hours, while other youth may not. Youth workers must take the level of access, both within and outside of programming, into account when planning integration of Web 2.0 into organizations.

Engage in inter-generational dialogue among youth workers. As members of a younger generation of youth workers whose knowledge of Web 2.0 technologies exceeds our experience with youth work, we also ask for inter-generational dialogue to incorporate existing youth work knowledge into programming that best makes use of these new tools. While we haven't seen good models of having these conversations, youth media organizations can strengthen their use of Web 2.0 tools (while reaping the benefits listed above) by encouraging these conversations. Younger youth workers who have grown up learning these tools can share their expertise while being mentored into positive youth work practices by youth media professionals who have been engaged in the work for many years.

Next Steps

The potential benefits of integrating Web 2.0 tools into youth programming provide youth media programs increased community and connection, an additional outlet for self expression, and enables youth to engage with these tools in a safe learning environment. As practiitoners, we must investigate these tools and learn how to implement them into youth media programming. These tools provide the potential to collaborate, connect, and share media, resources, knowledge, and experience among youth, practitioners, and organizations. By continuing to develop resources for training and innovative uses of these tools, and further, by sharing these resources with our local and national networks, we can create the necessary capacity to responsibly engage with Web 2.0 tools within our programs.

References
Davies, Tim and Pete Cranston. Youth Work and Social Networking: Final Research Report. Practical Participation: September 2008.

Youth Media Reporter (YMR) is the professional multi-media journal that serves practitioners, educators and academics in the youth media field. YMR offers insight to the degree that young people and their adult allies use media to make a difference, address a point, enhance creative imagination, and match leadership with voice.

Anthony Brunner is a first-year CTEP Americorps member at the the YWCA IMPACT program, a St. Paul based organization that works with at-risk youth to provide workforce experience, life-skills training, and academic enrichment. He currently holds a Bachelors degree from Hamline University, and is pursuing a career in education.

Peter Kirschmann is a second-year CTEP Americorps member at Saint Paul Neighborhood Network where he facilitates the Set It Up program, a teen-produced television show and afterschool program. He also teaches creative technology classes in the Science Museum of Minnesota's Learning Technologies Center.

Mary Pumphrey is a second year CTEP Americorps member at Saint Paul Neighborhood Network where she coordinates the Neighborhood Video Project, a community history-based program for middle schoolers and works on the National Youth Media Access Project (NYMAP). She has a profile on every social media site on the internet, ever.

Oanh Vu is a first year CTEP Americorps member at the Science Museum of Minnesota for a program called IDEA Cooperative, where she works with high schoolers on engineering, invention, and design projects.

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