YOU CAN ALSO JOIN US VIA ZOOM: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/d6d5174562fe4700cde7dc3c8da9331e
As our Youth Engagement volunteer group is open to all Ujima members who are interested in helping to support programs and opportunities for young people to benefit from and take leadership in the Ujima community and we are early in the development of our youth engagement strategy, we are anticipating a large adult presence and would like to seek your assistance with ensuring the presence of a strong youth voice at the beginning of this process. We believe that our youth engagement process must intentionally center youth and be youth-led for Ujima's programs and opportunities to truly be beneficial for young people.
We ask you to extend this invite to youth in your networks that you think may be interested in getting in on the ground floor of an innovative, community controlled, economic justice and neighborhood planning initiative that centers working class communities of color. Youth who attend the meeting do not have to join beforehand or make a commitment to join day of. Additionally, we want to clearly signal that all youth will be welcome in our space, including youth who for various reasons do not currently engage with existing organizations and initiatives. In extending this invitation to youth in your networks, we also ask you to extend an invitation to co-facilitate the meeting with us as well, and to let us know of any people who have indicated an interest in co-facilitating. I will send a draft agenda by the end of the day tomorrow and invite you and the youth in your networks to tag onto the draft and add comments or questions.
For additional context, I am providing an overview of where we are and our early thinking on youth engagement and a general overview of membership in Ujima.
Youth Engagement in Ujima Currently
1. Youth Membership
Individuals ages 14-24 are eligible for a discounted membership ($5, down from $25), which entitles them to vote on Ujima Capital Fund allocations, Good Business and Real Estate Community Standards, and Ujima governance decisions, as well as co-create Ujima by participating in a volunteer group and/or caucus. Our membership pack details the rights, benefits, and responsibilities of all Ujima members.
2. Youth Caucus
Caucuses are created to ensure that decisions are accountable to those who have been historically denied voice and choice. Caucuses will be empowered to help guide major decisions. We envision the Youth Caucus being a primary body that guides Ujima's youth engagement strategy.
3. Youth Engagement Volunteer Group
As stated above, the Youth Engagement Volunteer Group is for all Ujima members who are interested in helping to support programs and opportunities for young people to benefit from and take leadership in the Ujima community. We envision that the Youth Engagement Volunteer Group will follow the lead of the Youth Caucus.
4. Early ideas for carving out youth-led spaces within Ujima in addition to the Youth Caucus:
-Youth Assemblies (Neighborhood & General)
-Commitment to funding youth business/initiative
-Portion of arts grants to youth
-Youth-led planning exercises (Businesses We Love, Hate, Change)
-Youth component of Good Business Standards