MISSION: Southwest Research and Information Center is a multi-cultural organization working to promote the health of people and communities, protect natural resources, ensure citizen participation, and secure environmental and social justice now and for future generations

BOOK REVIEWS

The Kid's Guide to Social Action
Revised Edition
By Barbara A. Lewis
Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing, Inc., 1998
211 pp., $16.95 ($26.95, Canada), paper
ISBN: 1-57542-038-4

Youth Planning Charrettes
A Manual for Planners, Teachers, and Youth Advocates
By Bruce Race and Carolyn Torma
Chicago: APA Planners Press, 1998
95 pp., $19.95, paper
ISBN: 1-884829-19-8

Stepping Forward
Children and Young People's Participation in the Development Process
Edited by Victoria Johnson, Edda Ivan-Smith, Gill Gordon, Pat Pridmore, and Patta Scott
London: Intermediate Technology Publications, Ltd., 1998
332 pp., $19.95, paper
ISBN: 1-85339-448-3

For more than 500 service project ideas for youth, ranging from animal protection, community beautification, and the environment to literacy, crime fighting, the homeless and hunger, check out Barbara Lewis' 1995 book, The Kid's Guide to Service Projects. This how-to guide provides to a young audience a brief overview of the basics of activist techniques, but mainly serves as an idea book akin to 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save the Earth.

Lewis' revised edition of The Kid's Guide to Social Action, however, goes deeper into the skills, resources, and tools needed to achieve social and environmental justice goals. This book serves as a workbook, first identifying the specific project and then taking young activists through each step: letter writing, Internet research, interviewing, speeches, surveys, petitions, proposals, fundraising, media coverage, proclamations, gaining representation on boards and councils, campaigning, voter registration, organizing, and protesting. Each section has short vignettes illustrating how each technique has been successfully used by young people. The book also explains local, state and national lawmaking, political lobbying, the court system, and conflict resolution. It includes samples, reproducible worksheets, and extensive resource listings including many Web sites. Lewis emphasizes responsibility, including many cautionary statements discouraging posting addresses and phone numbers on the Internet as well as obtaining the support and supervision from adults.

Both The Kid's Guide to Social Action and its companion The Kid's Guide to Service Projects are useful resources for young people, as well as educators who are integrating community service projects into the curriculum.

Youth Planning Charrettes is a bit more technical and targets adult facilitators rather than young people directly. It provides guidance for preparing workshops and "charrettes" -- in which youth participants develop their own solutions to real-world problems (not hypothetical ones); these are usually related to community planning and urban design problems. Case studies illustrate the process throughout the book.

One interesting program highlighted was "Architects in Schools" in the San Francisco Bay area. An eight-week program similar to summer day camp explored the "green architecture" movement, including straw bale construction, solar collectors, and water reuse systems. The curriculum was augmented by hands-on activities and culminated in a presentation to city officials and community members. But not all charrettes are as formal as this. In Albuquerque, for example, middle school students participated in a youth recreation needs assessment.

There are worksheets, sample assignments, and step-by-step instructions for adult facilitators. This is definitely a manual for adults, especially city planners and community organizers, who want to involve youth in projects being implemented by adult groups or city governments. In Youth Planning Charrettes, youth play a role in community organizing, but they are not expected to be the leaders or primary activists of the projects as advocated in The Kid's Guide to Social Action.

A less "how-to" approach to youth participation is found in Stepping Forward, which focuses on how children are bringing about change in cultures around the world. This book features dozens of authors concentrating on the role of young people in education, labor, health, the environment, and community development.

The book evolved from a September 1997 international workshop held by the Institute of Development Studies, The Institute of Education, and Save the Children UK. This is a heavily academic discussion, and the book's 332 pages should probably only be tackled by professionals interested in research, college-level teaching, project organizing, or policy making involving youth participation.

There are three distinct levels of resources here, but all emphasize the empowerment of youth and the importance of their perspective. Lewis' books speak directly to young people who want to take action; the American Planning Association has provided a tool to involve children in the process typically reserved for adults; and Stepping Forward gives readers the "big picture" with an international scope. Each approach is valuable, considering the wide range of cultures, abilities, interests, and ages among youth.

— Cynthia Taylor

The Kid's Guide to Social Action
available from:
Free Spirit Publishing, Inc.
400 First Ave. North, Suite 616
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1724

Youth Planning Charrettes
available from:
American Planning Association
Planners Book Service
122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60603

Stepping Forward
available from:
Stylus Publishing, LLC
P.O. Box 605
Herndon, VA 20172-0605

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