Guide: Decide how to use the Adolescent Kit

Using the Adolescent Kit

You can use the resources in the Adolescent Kit in different ways. For example, you can introduce the activities and approaches into an ongoing programme to make it more effective for adolescents. Or, you can use the Adolescent Kit as you plan and introduce a new programme, to make sure that you reach, focus on and engage adolescents from the start. It is possible to use all of the tools, guidance and activities in the Adolescent Kit, or to just select particular ones to target specific areas in your programme that need strengthening for adolescent girls and boys.

The resources in the Adolescent Kit can help you to make programmes more effective for adolescents by:

• Introducing ways of working with adolescents that can help to make positive changes in their life – particularly by introducing activities that help them to develop the Ten key competencies, and applying the Ten key approaches in all aspects of your programme;
• Providing strategies that can help you to reach out and engage with adolescents, particularly the most marginalised girls and boys;
• Introducing a structured approach to working with groups of adolescents that involves bringing them together in Circles, where they can work together, make friends and have fun;
• Providing challenging, engaging and age-appropriate activities for working with children ages 10-18, including creative activities that focus on arts and innovation; and
• Opening up space for adolescents to focus on their own priorities and interests through activities and projects that they select, and by involving them in planning and managing all aspects of their work together.

2. Consider how you can use the Adolescent Kit to support adolescents

Once you have decided on an entry point, you will need to consider how you can use the activities, tools and guidance in the Adolescent Kit to make your programme more effective for adolescents – and what goals you want to set for your work.

The way that you use the Adolescent Kit will depend on adolescents’ particular needs and circumstances, as well as the focus of your entry point programme. For example, if you are planning to introduce the Adolescent Kit within a Sports, Recreation and Play programme, you may simply want to diversify your work by adding new activities that focus on innovation and the arts. Or, if you are integrating the Adolescent Kit within a Child Friendly Space intervention, you could use the Adolescent Circles approach as a way to reach out to and engage older adolescents, and to work with them in a more structured way.

Similarly, you could use the resources in the Adolescent Kit to:

• Introduce adolescent-led community projects within a youth development or peacebuilding programme;
• Set-up extra-curricular activities or clubs for adolescents within an education scheme;
• Find ways to constructively engage with adolescent mothers within a life skills intervention.

There are a lot of ways to use the Adolescent Kit! As you consider goals for your work with the Adolescent Kit, you will need to think about how you can tailor the activities, tools and guidance to your particular entry point programme, and what you want to achieve for adolescent girls and boys.

Link to the Integrating the Adolescent Kit: Practice scenario tool Remember that the activities and approaches in the Adolescent Kit support adolescent girls and boys to develop competencies – knowledge, attitudes and skills that can help them to cope with stressful circumstances, build healthy relationships, learn new skills and engage positively with their communities. As you set goals for your work with the Adolescent Kit, think about the particular competencies that adolescents in your programme and community would benefit from.

Try to keep your goals simple and practical – and be ready to adapt them in line with adolescents’ changing circumstances.

Link to the Competency goals for adolescents tool
 

3. Bring it all together

Ultimately you will need to develop a project document that clearly sets out the goals and strategy for your intervention with the Adolescent Kit, along with a way to monitor your progress. In some cases, there may already be a project document in place within your entry point programme that you can feed into or adapt.

Link to the Basic planning questions tool.

One advantage of integrating the Adolescent Kit into an ongoing programme is that you may be able to introduce the activities, tools and approaches without spending a lot of money or recruiting new staff. For example, you might benefit from safe spaces for adolescents, trained facilitators, a steering committee and community acceptance that your entry point programme might already have. This will make it easier to get started quickly.

The most important thing to remember as you plan your intervention with the Adolescent Kit is to consult with adolescents and the community, and to design your approach to fit your particular environment. Be prepared to adapt everything as you go!