Verde Smoke

[Please send comments!]

Values identify those objects, conditions or characteristics that an organization considers important and uses as guide for action. On the surface, the values that fuel the design and use of participatory media tools are the same as the values stated in most youth development organization’s vision statements. Specifically, these values include collaboration, personal creation, iteration, accessibility, and sustainability.
In both my professional and academic experience, I have observed that the everyday practice of these organizations sometimes don’t reflect these values. In the face of the high levels of uncertainty characterized by marginalized communities and funder requirements, the practice of these organizations can be controlled, top down, and evaluated on quantitative test scores or attendance statistics, and not qualitative review of youth participatory behaviors.
If the everyday practice of the organizations better reflected their stated values, the tools would be much more useful, valuable, and sustainable tool for both the staff and youth. So any facilitation that aims to incorporate of these tool into everyday youth development practice has to also go all the way back to the alignment of values as well as imparting technical skills.