As part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, GCE launched the ‘Youth and Students Meaningful Engagement in Education Advocacy Toolkit’ on 19 December 2024. The occasion marked a critical step in addressing the long-standing issue of tokenistic youth involvement in education policymaking and amplifying the voices of young advocates worldwide.
Click HERE for the toolkit.
Making Youth Engagement a Reality
The toolkit emphasizes that impactful youth engagement involves:
- Including youth in advisory councils, focus groups, and decision-making processes.
- Involving youth at every stage of a project – from planning to evaluation.
- Investing in capacity-building programs and creative outlets tailored to diverse youth groups.
- Recognizing youth leadership through roles in steering committees and national consultations.
By showcasing youth voices and advocating inclusion, this toolkit empowers young people to shape education policies and initiatives that affect their futures.
Confronting Tokenism in Youth Engagement
Despite increasing commitments from governments and organizations to involve youth and students in educational policymaking, GCE’s research, including studies by Dr. Chris Millora (2022) and GCE (2021), highlighted a persistent issue: many young activists felt disillusioned with superficial engagements that offered them little to no influence over critical policy decisions.
In response, GCE collaborated with the Goldsmiths Educational Studies Department, under the leadership of Dr. Millora, to develop the ‘Policy and Practice Toolkit on Meaningful Youth and Student Engagement in Education Advocacy.» This Toolkit stood out for its participatory and inclusive design, created in consultation with over 60 youth and student representatives through a global survey and regional online workshops spanning Asia, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Latin America. The collaborative approach ensured that the Toolkit reflected the lived experiences, perspectives, and aspirations of youth worldwide.
Key Features of the Toolkit
The Toolkit provided a comprehensive resource for addressing tokenism and advancing meaningful youth engagement in education advocacy. It included:
- Principles of Engagement: A framework for ensuring youth involvement in advocacy efforts was impactful and not superficial.
- Practical Guidance: Steps to co-design youth engagement strategies and build the capacity of young advocates to influence education policies.
- Multilingual Accessibility: The Toolkit was made available in English, Arabic, French, and Spanish, enabling localization while maintaining global relevance.
- Widespread Dissemination: The resource was disseminated through GCE’s extensive network of 127 member organizations and various state and non-state partners. It reached youth-involving institutions, civil society organizations, state actors, academic institutions, private companies, youth-led groups, and student unions.
The Toolkit was also introduced as a key part of GCE’s broader 2024 Campaign on Educational Technology (EdTech), with youth and students leading and implementing many of the campaign’s initiatives. This integration ensured that young voices were central to shaping the future of education technology and advocacy.
A Significant Milestone for Youth Advocacy
The launch of the Toolkit symbolized a significant advancement in bridging the gap between youth aspirations and policymaking realities. By promoting meaningful engagement, the resource empowered young activists to become active partners in shaping education systems that are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to their needs.
The event, moderated by Vicky Mogeni, was attended by education stakeholders and youth representatives from across the globe. The Toolkit, made available as an open-access resource, was widely celebrated as a tool that would inspire collaboration, amplify youth voices, and drive tangible action in education advocacy.
As GCE commemorated 25 years of advocating for quality education for all, the launch of the Toolkit reinforced the organization’s commitment to ensuring young people were not just heard but meaningfully involved in shaping the future of education.
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