The main link between all of my past and current career experiences has been working with young people on equality. My first job in high school was workforce readiness development for young people with disabilities in Pennsylvania. Most recently, I served in the Peace Corps as a Youth Development Volunteer in Cameroon before joining Plan International USA. In fact, it was Plan’s Youth Advisory Board (YAB) that made me most excited to join the Corporate Partnerships Team two and a half years ago. Learning that Plan not only supports young people through our programs and advocacy work, but also takes the time to consult with them and include their voices in shaping the organizational structure and development, was important to me. I began thinking, why can’t I bring these powerful, intelligent and inspirational young people into the corporate partnerships I work with every day? So, I did!
The powerful youth advocates who engage with Plan are always up for a challenge and bring innovative insights to a new partnership. In 2015 Plan partnered with Viacom International through the Nickelodeon brand’s “Together for Good” campaign, to encourage kids around the world to become change-makers in their own communities. Given that Nickelodeon’s programming and content is for children and young people, it made perfect sense that Plan’s YAB members be a part of every campaign strategy thus far. Last year, we co-created Nickelodeon’s first-ever pro-social online game, Together We Rock, and it was a young person from El Salvador who suggested having a female voice narrate the game to make it more inclusive of girls interested in gaming. Looking to the future of our partnership, two of Plan’s YAB members conducted research with their peers and presented their findings at Viacom’s office in Times Square at our last meeting to help shape our next joint campaign.
Oh, and I cannot forget to mention that time Luis and I went to the Kid’s Choice Awards and got slimed (even if just on Snapchat)!
Plan’s YAB members are so confident and passionate about our work that they jump at every opportunity to speak out. Plan’s partnership with Glamour’s The Girl Project focused on the importance of girls’ access to quality education around the world. This platform has provided our young people with many chances to share their voices, like at the Women of the Year event, or in the editorial magazine.
This past year, two of Plan’s YAB members were invited to Glamour’s “Back to School Rally” and got to speak out about the importance of girls’ education and the lifelong impact that is made with every additional year of school. Johnnie was even able to speak with New Jersey Senator Cory Booker about her own educational goals and got an internship offer with his office on the spot!
Plan’s YAB members aren’t afraid to lead difficult conversations either! In February, Fatima had the amazing opportunity to lead a session at the ALEX AND ANI headquarters. Fatima initiated a conversation about how gender equality impacts the employees’ lives in the U.S. by asking questions such as “are women equal in our society?” and “do women make better parents than men?” and facilitating a debate. Fatima reflected on her experience saying, “We were having such an insightful discussion that we ran out of time! You know what they say, time flies when you are having fun!”
In all of my experiences with Plan’s YAB, one thing remains clear: Young people are calling for change, in the U.S. and around the world. International Day of the Girl, which falls on October 11 every year, is a great example of young people working to enact change. Last year, over 1,100 girls participated in a global moment calling on government and business leaders worldwide to make gender equality a priority. They encouraged more young women to step forward as leaders and decision makers, so that the voices of girls could be heard. Plan’s corporate Takeovers are one way our partners are working to ensure young people have an influential voice in their brand’s strategic development.
Sienna took over Discovery Communication’s Women’s Network for the day and led a conversation around dreams and aspirations with the employees. She also said, “I felt so much joy after my discussion with the DWN … It is so special and so important that Discovery took the time to seek out a voice that isn’t always accounted for. Being a 15-year-old girl with big ideas, more often than not I am met with doubt and judgment from adults around me.”
Whether during International Day of the Girl or in general, all of Plan’s young people, not just girls, are working to achieve gender equality. Together with Plan’s ambassador, Richard Lui, young people from Uganda, El Salvador and the U.S. visited MSNBC and the United Nations in New York City. Augustine, from Uganda, remembered the experience by saying, “Being the only male youth representative during the week of events, I felt out of place for a while. however, I later discovered I had a great role to play in the event in my capacity as a boy. The speaking opportunities I had were instrumental in building my capacity during the event. I opened up, for the first time, to global activism for girls’ rights and it was a pleasure to be the only boy talking out loud about girls’ rights to participation and protection at a number of events.”
Some of my favorite moments during my time at Plan have been talking with young people about their interests and future goals during our down time. The young people Plan works with are incredibly insightful. And while they provide tangible inputs into both the organization and our partnerships, it’s their high energy, passion, enthusiasm and optimism that motivates me every day to ensure young people are the center of change and creating a more equitable world.
If the young people who engage with Plan are any indication, the future is certainly #YoungAndPowerful, and I personally can’t wait to see what they all do next!
