Youth Development Peer Network

The YDPN in collaboration with youth workers Aaron Gilbert, Dana Mandolesi, Teresa Nauer, and Bill Vanark hosted the first Youth Worker Brown Bag on Monday, October 27th at Sports Basement in San Francisco. This Brown Bag focused on peace and drew over 15 youth workers from across a variety of sectors and positions.

The Brown Bag started with personal reflection, a welcome, and a panel discussion about youth workers perspectives on peace. Then, youth workers broke into affinity groups to explore and map how peace is connected to their group. Afterwards, maps were displayed around the room and informal networking was facilitated around improving practices of peace. The Brown Bag ended with announcements and committing to becoming more intentional about how we bring peace to our communities.

Molly Simmons commented "The Brown Bag met all my expectations.  Not only did I connect with people who I have been facelessly emailing, but I got a better understanding of what the youth worker community looks like, who we serve, and how we are serving youth throughout San Francisco." Jessica Van Tuyl had a different perspective. She shared "From my perspective, the Brown Bag focused on this really lofty notion of “peace” that we never really defined or applied to our work in tangible ways.  Given how much violence is going on around us, it felt really weird to me to be talking so abstractly about peace.  I was hoping for a discussion that would focus more on how to support young people who live in communities that are NOT peaceful including how to support them in healing, becoming activists for peace, and maintaining hope in the face of overwhelming loss."

Jason Wyman, Program Manager of YDPN, heard and understands the roots of both comments and is making some changes to address needs in upcoming Brown Bags. First, the Brown Bags will create an avenue that empowers youth workers to state their needs upfront. Second, the space created at these events will utilize the philosophy of "managed and facilitated chaos" meaning that structure will be there, but it will be loose and adaptable based on the needs stated up front. Third, Jason will follow up with youth workers who's needs were not met at the Brown Bag and make sure to make connections so that needs are addressed.

Even though her needs were not met, Jessica continued "I really appreciated the opportunity to connect with other Program Directors and hear about the challenges they face, share my own challenges, and brainstorm ways to approach these challenges.  I have little to no contact with other Program Directors so I found this networking opportunity to be really valuable." 

Emily Adler hopes that youth workers "make connections amongst our programs!  Stop fighting for recruiting and fundraising and leverage each others abilities, skills, knowledge to reach more youth in the Bay Area." It is this hope that the Youth Worker Brown Bag series hopes to achieve. And the YDPN invites other youth workers from across the Bay Area to join in.

Said Jason Wyman "This is a opportunity for unity and solidarity as a field. Too often we see ourselves isolated into our roles and communities. The Brown Bags offer an opportunity to step back and look at our work in a different manner. Once we take a step back, we can see how and where we are connected. It is in the strength of our connections that our communities will be transformed. That is where the strength of community organizing and social change occurs. The YDPN believes there is power through a network of peers."

To attend the next Youth Worker Brown Bag, click here.