Youth Venture

A student-led seminar and practicum to discuss and challenge common notions of service and activism.

Our idea was to connect civically-engaged college students interested in reflecting on and discussing issues of community activism and social change in a small group class format. Students coming to this course are generally constantly-on-the-move activists focusing more heavily on acting than on reflecting. Thich Nhat Hanh said, “Many people have taken action, but if their state of being is not peaceful or happy, the actions they undertake only sow more troubles and anger and make the situation worse. So instead of saying, ‘Don't just sit there; do something,’ we should say the opposite, "Don't just do something; sit there.” We thought that this purely “do” mentality should be replaced and incorporated with analytical reflection on one’s learning and actions within an expanded perspective of service and social justice.
Classes are guided with tools and articles to stimulate critical thinking and deep dialogue collected from outside meetings, off-campus study programs, and conferences. The class provides students with an environment to ask consciousness-raising about themselves (learning what type of leaders they are, understanding their own oppressions, or learning about their biases that may hold them back), to read thought-provoking articles, and to build meaningful relationships on campus. In a small group students also get the chance to actively learn from each others’ varying experiences and viewpoints on a variety of social justice issues and article topics such as women's rights, globalization, social and economic inequities, and spirituality. Students democratically participate in each class session by agreeing on the agenda, sharing personal experiences, and reflecting on the assigned readings. Leadership of each session is rotated throughout the group and paired with an opportunity to teach a skill of their choice.