How to motivate people
Loads of young people get involved in community projects all the time.
When they do get involved, it’s important to show how much you value their involvement.
Show your appreciation by using some of the suggestions below:
Activities and fun stuff
Setting up fun (and safe) activities can encourage young people to take part more. They also give people the chance to socialise and make new friends.
Give young people the chance to develop
Projects and schemes which let young people progress and learn new things can increase their confidence and self-esteem.
They can learn skills in negotiation, organisation, decision-making, communication, reading and writing. Learning these kinds of skills can help young people take control of their lives.
Certificates and awards
You may wish to organise official awards and certificates to be given through Further Education or Higher Education colleges. This will give a clear message that you recognise a young person’s efforts.
It might be possible that you can arrange for young people to get a special certificate through your organisation or company. This means that their work can be recognised in their school Record of Achievement.
Work experience
Working in an organisation can give young people valuable work experience. It also gives them a chance to get a good reference for any future jobs they want to apply for.
Help with money
It shouldn’t cost the earth for young people to get involved. No young person should be worse off or out of pocket after taking part in a project.
Think about providing compensation or vouchers for someone’s travel expenses, meals, overnight accommodation, and in some cases, their loss of wages.
This is not the same as paying young people for their involvement. That goes against the aims of taking part, citizenship and volunteering. It also runs the risk of young people taking part for financial rewards only.
Tell it like it is
Young people should always be given positive and useful feedback on the work they’ve done. They should also be told what has changed for the better because they’ve taken part.
This lets young people know that they’ve been listened to and that their work has been respected and valued by the organisation.
A big thank you party or event
Taking young people out for an event can be a useful way of thanking them and celebrating their work and their work with the rest of the group.