The Bob Burdette Center is more than just a place for students to go when the school day ends. We are a space where our students can grow, explore new interests, and build meaningful relationships in a safe environment. One of the most powerful ways to strengthen these environments is through youth–adult partnerships.
Youth-adult partnerships are an important relationship that occurs between a child and an adult that is not one of the child’s main adults (ie. parents/guardians). These often appear as a supportive adult that functions in a mentor relationship like a teacher or an afterschool staff member. A youth–adult partnership happens when staff and young people work together, share ideas, and learn from one another. Instead of adults making all the decisions and youth simply following directions, both groups contribute to shaping activities and solving problems.
In an afterschool setting, our students spend many hours participating in activities, lessons, and facilitated playtime. When they have opportunities to share their opinions about what they enjoy, what they want to learn, or how activities could improve, they feel more connected to our program. For example, something our students voice their opinion on would be our monthly theme, ideas for the monthly good behavior reward, items for our ticket store, and giving ideas for topics they might like to cover in lessons. When children see that their ideas matter, they often become more engaged and excited about participating.
Our Enrichment Leaders and Site Coordinators play an important role in guiding these partnerships. Our staff bring experience, structure, and support that help the program run smoothly and they encourage youth to take initiative and practice leadership.
You can learn more about youth-adult partnerships here.