To co-create or not to co-create, that is the question (and I have the answer)!

In the name of full transparency (inspired by the last issue of the newsletter), I think it’s time to admit that for most of my education and career, I had no idea, nor had I ever heard of the term “co-creating.”  

If this is your first time hearing that word, well then welcome aboard! I, too, didn’t understand it, but once I did, similar to what I guess you might think at the end of this, you too will realize that you’ve been co-creating a lot longer than you think.

2 years ago, I was working as an engagement coordinator. Want to know what my first task was right after I was onboarded? Create a definition for co-creating that the entire organization would use.

Talk about being thrown into the thick of it from the get-go.

I remember staring at my manager blankly on the Teams call - a definition for what?

I had never heard of “co-creating”. I didn’t know what it meant.

My colleague and I set out on crafting a definition with the help of our team, data and research provided. Unfortunately, the organization no longer exists today, and I don’t have access to the definition we had come up with. But thankfully, over the years, I’ve pieced my own together, which is what you’ll eventually come to do.

So, what is co-creation?

For some context, here are two definitions I found online that do offer a great overview of what co-creation is:

How I define co-creation in the context of youth engagement

Chances are, this is something you’ve done before or are looking to implement in your organization.

Does it sound familiar? It’s because it is! It’s the very foundation and the fundamental concept of youth engagement. One could say they are the same…

What happens when you co-create with youth?

After defining what co-creating is, I realized that there were moments in my previous roles or throughout my schooling where I was given the opportunity as a young person to co-create, and there were times when I was not.

In the times where I was, I want to share with you how it made me feel. When I was co-creating with my colleagues, I felt able and open to share my thoughts, ideas and opinions. But above that, I felt respected, heard, valued and appreciated.

It built in me a confidence I was lacking but it also encouraged me and made me want to keep helping, to keep giving back, to keep trying – I was fully and truly engaged.

Take it from me, as a young person, once I found a place where my voice was respected, I only wanted to keep giving back to it because I felt valued, heard and appreciated. Co-creation is a tool that can help you engage youth in your community and make them feel just like that.

Key Takeaway

Practical Tip Of The Week

What does co-creation look like when applied to your organization?

• Inviting youth staff members, volunteers or advisory councils to give their input or insights to non-profit board members.

• Consulting youth through a focus group about a specific topic that has or will impact your community.

• Ask youth volunteers how your organization can enhance their volunteer journey and experience. Then, explore the various ways they wish to contribute and apply their skills.

• Provide youth with the space and opportunity to build a project or initiative from the ground up with you, not just for them.

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Service Spotlight

Interested in learning more about how I can help your non-profit engage with youth? Check out my services below!

Question For You!

And we’ve reached the end of another newsletter.

Thank you so much to everyone who is continually reading and engaging. It means the world to me.

If you’re interested in learning more about youth engagement and how it can benefit your organization, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

And if you have any ideas or topics you’d like me to cover, reply to this email!

Have a great rest of your week!

Sarah Barbosa