How Participatory Action Research Can Promote Social Change and Help Youth Development
December 17, 2012
Cara Berg Powers and Erin Allaman*
In response to this text, there is value in this concept that encourages youth action as opposed to the conventional ‘do as I say’ behaviour that has become common practice within mainstream education and organisational frameworks that are supposedly meant to support youth. The recent focus on empowering young people to become the decision makers and involved in the process-making shows a positive transformation in the way institutions work with youth. Since 2012, Auckland Museum’s Youth Programming shows evidence that by providing opportunities for young people in Auckland to develop their own programming aimed at their own generation aged 15-24 has created positive engagement outcomes than most Museums in Aotearoa. By employing our past programme participants as Guest Educator Taiohi with casual contracts, YPAR inspires our programming to work with young people to facilitate and practice their knowledge acquired through their own experience. Through participatory action, our Guest Educator Taiohi have the capacity to shape their own innate understanding and share their experiences of Museum culture with others.
By Amiria Puia-Taylor
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