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Introduction:

The Young Rural Developers Toolkit has been developed by the ACORN team, and is designed to engage, empower, and inspire young people living in rural areas. It seeks to cultivate leadership, civic engagement, and community development among rural youth. These Toolkit resources are designed to be used individually in the learner’s own time and also by educators in an educational setting. We provide educators with direction on how to utilise the content effectively in a learning environment.

The Toolkit offers bite-sized learning modules, worksheets, activities, and games to enhance leadership, civic participation, and rural development knowledge. The Toolkit surrounds four key areas to rural youth development:

  1. Active Citizenship for Youth.
  2. Understanding Rural Development Decision Making.
  3. Community Development Skills.
  4. Rural Leadership for Young Individuals.

A message to young people from the ACORN team:

Within Europe's rural areas, you have the potential to drive change. The Young Rural Developers Toolkit resources equip you with the skills, knowledge and competencies needed to address challenges and make a difference. This Toolkit will guide you through rural development, helping you use technology, connect with others, and implement solutions. Europe's rural future starts with your initiative and vision. The change of rural areas in Europe needs starts with you!

How to navigate the ACORN Young Rural Developers Toolkit effectively, ensuring you benefit the most from its content:

Section 1: Active Citizenship: Find Your Voice

In rural areas, active citizenship is essential for addressing challenges and driving positive change. Understanding one's role in the European community and how to advocate for rural development is crucial for youth engagement. This section aims to lay the foundation for active citizenship among rural youth. It recognizes that youth have a vital role to play in shaping their communities and the larger European context.

Content Highlights:

  • Your Role in Europe's Fabric: Understanding the importance of youth in the European community framework.
  • Bite sized Modules:
  1. The ABCs of Active Youth Citizenship in Europe. 
  2. Role of Youth Advocate in Rural Development. 
  3. Vignettes of Young Europeans Making a Change. 
  • Worksheet: Active Citizenship: Where Do I Stand?

Use our resources as a youth worker/educator:

  • Start with a compelling story or anecdote about a young European who played a significant role in their community. Use our Vignettes of Young Europeans Making a Change to get the conversation started.
  • Use the bite-sized modules for a concise introduction (the ABCs are a great starting point) and use this content to delve deeper to explore the views and ambitions of your young people.
  • For bite-sized module 2, we explore youth advocacy in a whole-community context. This module is ideal for community leaders who want to plan and deliver youth-focused actions in their community. The content is still relevant to young people as a thought-provoking exercise, and they can bring this content to the attention of others in their community.  
  • What have we learnt? Ask your learners to develop an opinion blog to share their thoughts, learning, and aspirations related to active citizenship.

Section 2: Navigate European Rural Development

From the outside in, the rural development landscape can be complex. To make a difference, youth need to understand this landscape, from policy formation to execution, to actively participate in shaping the future of their rural communities. This section provides clarity on decision-making processes that impact rural areas. It emphasises the importance of youth involvement in these processes to ensure their voices are heard.

Content Highlights:

The European Rural Landscape:  Bite-sized Visual Guide to decision-making bodies affecting rural communities covering:

Policy Puzzle: Piece together a rural development initiative from idea to execution

Worksheet: Charing my course in Rural Development

Teaching Suggestions:

  1. Organise the Policy Puzzle activity to allow learners to practically understand the journey of rural development initiatives.
  2. Use the Charting My Course in Rural Development worksheet to enable learners to envision their role in rural development.
  3. Role-play Activity: Simulate the lifecycle of a rural initiative. Groups act out stages of the Policy Puzzle, embodying roles from brainstorming, planning, to execution. This facilitates experiential learning.
  4. Vision Board Creation: Following the worksheet exercise, groups can collaborate to craft a vision board. This showcases their collective insights, aspirations, and potential interventions in rural development.
  5. What have we learnt? In an opinion blog, learners can share their evolving understanding, personal rural development aspirations, and challenges, aiding in personal reflection and goal setting.

Section 3: Building Vibrant Rural Communities

Section 3: Building Vibrant Rural Communities

This section explores the potential of youth in various aspects of community building, including community health and identity, digital innovation, and networking. It aims to inspire youth to contribute positively to their communities.

Content Highlights:

Together, We Thrive: Ideas bank highlighting the key themes that youth can bring unique perspectives and solutions to:

Health and Wellbeing:

  • Promoting physical and mental well-being among rural youth.
  • Healthy lifestyle choices and stress management.
  • Overcoming barriers to healthcare access in rural areas.

Cultural and Community Identity:

  • Celebrating and preserving local traditions and culture.
  • Fostering a sense of pride in rural identity.

Digital Futures:

  • Harnessing technology for effective community organising.

Networking and Social Connections:

  • Building social networks within and beyond the rural community.
  • Connecting with mentors and role models.
  • The power of intergenerational relationships.

Community Whisperers: Blog series featuring interviews with successful youth-led community projects.

Rural Vision Café: How a young person can set up and facilitate group discussions to brainstorm community ideas from a youth perspective.

Photo Voices: A youth photography challenge capturing the essence of community spirit.

Worksheet:  My Blueprint for a Thriving Rural Community

Teaching Suggestions:

  1. Initiate group discussions to brainstorm challenges faced by rural communities in the mentioned areas.
  2. Use the blog series Community Whisperers to offer real-life examples of youth-led community projects.
  3. Organise the Rural Vision Café activity to foster brainstorming of community ideas.
  4. Incorporate the My Blueprint for a Thriving Rural Community worksheet to assist learners in mapping out strategies for community upliftment.
  5. Technology Journal: After the Digital Futures topic, learners document their experiences while experimenting with various technology tools, noting successes, challenges, and insights.
  6. Individuals create a personal roadmap after the Networking & Social Connections topic, detailing who they would like to approach, events they would attend, or community networks they would join.

Section 4: Rural Leadership: Stepping Up

Effective leadership is essential for driving change in rural communities. By highlighting successful youth leaders and providing guidance on leadership qualities, this section empowers youth to step up and lead. We encourage young individuals to take on leadership roles by showcasing real-life examples of youth leaders who have made a difference in rural areas.

Content Highlights:

The European Young Leader:  What sets the rural youth leaders of Europe apart?

Bite-sized Documentary Clips featuring:

  • Leaders of Tomorrow: Profiles of European youth making waves in rural leadership.
  • Navigating Challenges: Overcoming barriers in the European rural leadership context.

Rural Leadership Forum: A moderated space for open dialogue about challenges and opportunities.

Worksheet:  Mapping My Leadership Journey

Teaching Suggestions:

  1. Start with a group discussion on the characteristics of a good leader.
  2. Use the documentary clips to inspire learners with real-life examples of young rural leaders.
  3. Organise a Rural Leadership Forum to offer a platform for dialogue on challenges and opportunities.
  4. Share the Mapping My Leadership Journey worksheet to guide learners in reflecting on their personal leadership path.
  5. Leadership Role-Play Scenarios: Design scenarios related to rural leadership challenges, and have groups act them out. After each role-play, hold a group debrief to discuss the actions taken and potential alternative approaches.
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