Genuine, non-tokenistic child and youth participation is possible when it’s based on key guiding principles and a strong understanding of the possible entry points and participatory mechanisms. This infographic is a graphical representation of the model for participation proposed in 'Weaving a Collective Tapestry: a Funders’ Toolkit for Child and Youth Participation'. The research surfaced a 4-step process for designing a participatory approach:
- Grounding principles as the foundation for participatory practice.
- Four levels of participation with an organization (organizational/operational, programmatic/grant-making, influencing, monitoring, evaluating, and learning), with associated entry points and participatory mechanisms.
- Deciding which children and young people to work with based on who is in your network.
- Four depths of participation (consulting, decision-making, co-designing, and resourcing child- and youth-led organizing).
The model layers one on top of the other, tailored to the institution and how they currently are or wish to work with children and young people. This infographic focuses on the first two steps. The Tapestry of Participation offers a collective process to weave a shared story together, co-creating something beautiful that will last for generations.