My services focus on understanding the power structures between children and adults, and how our views on children and childhood affect our work. I provide concrete methods for involving young people more in decision-making processes to heighten engagement and cooperation among both children and staff in institutional settings. To do this, we can reflect on existing structures, processes, and belief systems within ourselves and our organizations, and then take action to better protect, provide for, and co-design with kids.
I support organizations in designing and strengthening youth participation structures that are ethical, effective, and sustainable. This work is tailored to each context and may include:
• Audits of existing youth participation practices
• Program and process redesign
• Youth advisory board development
• Support for staff navigating power, boundaries, and change
I design and facilitate practical trainings for adults working with young people, grounded in children’s rights and participatory practice, with a focus on everyday professional settings.
• Children as Beings Versus Becomings: How Our View of Young People Shapes Our Work
• Flipping the Script: Sharing Power Without Losing Structure
• Fun as Resistance: How We Can Create Space for Joy Regardless of Setting
Sessions can be delivered as 90-minute workshops, half-day trainings, or full-day formats.
I speak at conferences, universities, and public events on youth participation, youth programming, and rights-based practice. I also host and moderate participatory panels and creative formats designed to actively engage audiences.
In a relaxed and judgement-free zone, we practice:
Writing jokes
Turning our every day lives into funny stories
Exploring different forms of comedy
Talking about social justice
Using humor as a coping mechanism
Laughing excessively and having fun