Youth participation and involvement

Increasing involvement and participation of unheard youth in society

Although more and more initiatives are being developed to shape the social and political participation of young people, it is becoming increasingly clear that large groups of young people still need to be reached. We aim to make the voice of -all- youth heard, in order to reduce inequality and optimize policy.

To this end, we investigate what works best – and why – to actively involve underrepresented youth (i.e., youth from vocational tracks, youth from low-ses backgrounds and neighborhoods) in youth participation projects. We work transdisciplinary and are focused on changing the participation of unheard youth.

Through co-creation with youth and societal partners, we develop new participation instruments in which participation is accessible and attractive. These instruments can be directly translated into interventions to optimize young people’s opportunities and improve societal participation.

Core team

Arwin van Buuren (EUR), Bianca Boenders (You!ng), Charlotte Tuijl (EUR), Coen Koevoet (EUR), Eveline Crone (EUR), Esther Rozendaal (EUR), Irene Fierloos (EUR), Jeroen van der Waal (EUR), Kayla Green (EUR), Lysanne te Brinke (EUR), Milene Gonçalves (TUD) and Yentl Liewma (Gemeente Rotterdam)

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Related items

Publication

Creating space for youth participation in policy

We conducted design research on improving youth participation in policy in the city of Rotterdam, together with youth, youth workers and policy makers

Theatre production

Never Mind

We teamed up with Erasmus SYNC Lab and the Me & Society foundation in Rotterdam to develop a theatre production on mental health and social inequality, made by and for youth

Event

MIND Us Student Tour

During the week of Mental Health we joined the MIND Us Student Tour in Rotterdam to organize a brain storm session and talk about mental health

Podcast

Live podcast on sexual street intimidation

Healthy Start and Erasmus Verbindt organised a live podcast about sexual street intimidation at WORM Rotterdam

Tool

Experiment cards

An educative tool in the form of experiment cards and facilitator’s manual to help policy advisors think and act with a focus on youth participation

Publication

Implementing youth participation at the municipality of Rotterdam

Our research gives insight into individual and contextual factors that are connected to the implementation youth participation (ages 4-26) in policies of the municipality of Rotterdam

Education

Transdisciplinary course ‘Local to Global’

In the course ‘Local to Global’ students do research on the consequences of global challenges for local communities, children, youth and parents in Rotterdam

Media

Lysanne te Brinke on tv show ‘Tieners tegen kwalen’

Starting Wednesday 14 August Healthy Start Ambition Lead and assistant professor Clinical Psychology Lysanne te Brinke appears in the new MAX tv show ‘Tieners tegen kwalen’ (‘Teens against ailments’).

Publication

Rethinking youth participation in policy making

Design research and creative sessions with stakeholders show the different perspectives of both youth and policy makers on youth participation

Sprint-project

SPARK

Supporting Participation and Research for Kids

Sprint-project

Let’s Movez together

A tool for meaningful participation and engagement of children in (digital) resilience interventions

Podcast

(Re)Searching a Healthy Start

On this podcast researchers from Healthy Start and their societal partners talk about our ambitions

Interview

The story of Milene Gonçalves

‘Can ‘design’ methods and creative techniques help harness young people’s ideas effectively?’

Interview

The story of Lysanne te Brinke

“Many adolescents feel that their opinion and ideas are not valued”