Transforming Futures and Organizations with Teen Programs

ID: WMA2026_568

Track:

Examine the power of intergenerational spaces through the lens of three unique teen programs. Teen and adult panelists will explore how community and peer connections foster empathy, empower youth, and have a lasting impact. Through interactive conversation, participants will discover practical strategies for creating inclusive, diverse, and sustainable programs. Engage with others to investigate solutions and think critically about collaboratively elevating youth voices and aspiring them to connect with museums.      

Session Information

Format: Regular session/panel (roundtable, single speaker, etc.)

Uniqueness: This session brings together professionals of a variety of backgrounds and experiences to foster an intergenerational dialogue, including program facilitators and teen participants.

Objectives: This session aims to demonstrate how elevating teens’ voices by focusing on teen-led and co-designed program formats is an effective way to instill ownership, belonging, and trust in community organizations. The expertise offered by teens on the panel is the most valuable part of this session. Their presence at the conference will provide unique insights about their personal experiences building connections through educational programming. We will bring teens from three distinct programs of different sizes and structures, each offering a unique perspective. Not only will they discuss challenges and tips for creating teen-led spaces in which participants feel comfortable sharing ideas and concerns with adult facilitators, but they will also provide insight into how peer mentoring has allowed them to create a constructive dialogue with other teens. We will utilize group discussions to identify tactics to help professionals of varying levels of experience in working with teens to develop worthwhile programs which highlight and elevate the youth voice. We will give actionable takeaways on what we do during our program development process that has worked to reframe our own programming. Our adult presenters come from many different backgrounds with varied museum and educational work experiences. With experience in established as well as new programs, they will consider topics such as starting and/or strengthening community partnerships, sustaining an open dialogue with participants, and building trust in our programs within the community. Participants will also have the opportunity to interact with each other and learn from sharing their experiences.

Engagement: Upon entering, participants will receive a note card to write down questions about teen programming to both teen participants and adult facilitators. During the panels, the participants will also be able to ask more questions and interact with all the panelists and presenters. Participants will be asked to discuss in small groups about youth involvement at their institutions and share with the big group. We will need note cards and pens.

Relationship to Theme:

Audience

Audiences: Curators/Scientists/Historians Events Planning Other 

Professional Level: All levels Emerging Professional 

Scalability: The outcomes of this session are highly adaptable across different types and sizes of organizations, each of which can benefit from intergenerational spaces and open dialogue in unique ways. Different specialized museums and community organizations can use these approaches to create more inclusive and supportive experiences that empower young people while strengthening community ties. By integrating youth voices into their programming and building programs for teens by teens, organizations of all kinds can aspire to connect and engage with communities and ensure that their spaces remain relevant, dynamic, and welcoming to all generations. In that process, teens develop a sense of belonging with organizations and can see more of themselves represented in those spaces, understanding that they have a voice and that their opinions matter.

Participants