Why Teens Deserve Teens Only Programming: a Treatise

Occasionally, I am asked about various topics dealing with teens. I was recently asked about teens only programming, and have been working on putting my thoughts into some concise writings. I’m a firm believer in the importance and value of teens only programming. As you’ll see below, my thoughts cover everything from safety to having moments where they aren’t being asked to be caregivers of younger siblings (yes, I’m an oldest child). I also believe it is important that we communicate that a program is teens only and then hold firm to that boundary, even to the parents of that 11-year-old who they swear is developmentally advanced or the 19-year-old who recently graduated and just wants to hang out with their friends (because having legal adults with minors who don’t all necessarily understand the new and very legal dynamics of their age differences can get tricky).

The Why:

Teens, like any other age group, deserve to have programming that is designed for their developmental needs and safety in mind.

Teens deserve to have programming spaces where they don’t have to worry about being the targets of older adults. Nor do they have to compete with resources with them.

Teens deserve to have programming spaces where they are not forced to wrestle with being the admiration of young students and having to deal with the boundaries that come with that.

Teens deserve to have programming spaces where they are not asked to be caregivers of younger siblings.

Teens deserve to have communities that know, value, and understand their age specific needs and communicate that value by catering to their needs and elevating them to target audience and demographic affirming status. This is true for every age group, and it is true for teens. If we will do it for one age group, we should do it for all age groups. This is what being egalitarian looks like.

Furthermore, The 40 Developmental Assets clearly show us that teens only programming and spaces increase teen well being and decrease their engagement in risky, problematic behavior. Teens only programming is good for teens, it is good for the community as a whole.

This does not mean that all teen programming has to bee teens only, it means that some of our teen programming should be teens only. I would argue that most of it should be teens only. There is value to multi-generational programming, no doubt, but if we are going to serve teens, then we must understand and fight for the implementation of teens only programming, including adequate funding and staffing.

What are We Doing When We State a Program is for Teens Only and Then Enforce That Rule?

We are making a statement: We are qualified professionals who have developed this program for this age group and we know what we are doing. We are stating that we care about teens in our community so much that we are designing this program and space for them and them alone.

We are making a promise: These are the people that will be at this program. Parents, your teens are safe(r) with us because this is who will be there – other teens and staff. Teens, you can come to this program and be yourself, you don’t have to worry about older adults or younger kids. You don’t have to compete for resources; you don’t have to worry about anything but being yourself in a space that we have designed with you in mind. It is very important for everyone to understand who will be at a program, it can guide decision making as to whether or not that program is for you. There is nothing worse than thinking X is going to happen, and then showing up and something entirely different is happening. When we break those promises that we make in our marketing, we are breaking trust, which can be hard to gain back.

We are setting an expectation: We have clearly defined these expectations of age participation, and we expect patrons and staff to abide by them. By communicating clear expectations, everyone knows what is going to happen. Most people like having clear expectations and boundaries. As a person with anxiety raising teens with anxiety, clear expectations – including ages for participation – can really help.

We are setting an example: We are going to this thing that we said we are going to do, respect our clearly defined age limits, and we are going to ask that you do as well and be an example of how to work together in community to be meet the needs and wishes of our patrons. We are also demonstrating to our community that teens have value by making an effort to serve teens and only teens in some settings.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Consistent messaging, boundaries, and behaviors make it easier for everyone to know what to expect, how to interact, and builds safe spaces that are developmentally appropriate and anxiety free for everyone involved, especially the teens that we serve. It’s beneficial to patrons and staff alike. Part of program development and marketing is understanding WHO we are designing a program for, and communicating that to our community. Serving teens requires that we be very intentional with our who, what, when, where and how – AND THAT WE ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO our admin, parents, teens, and the community as a whole.

Some Other Teen Programming Issues to Consider

We need to understand our local communities and program accordingly. Make sure we are balancing out teen only programs with family programs, younger age programs, etc. Collect your data, analyze your data, and make informed decisions. Swerve when you need to.

We need to make sure we are developing the programs we need for the right age groups and clearly marketing them as such. The right programs for the right audience at the right time is the goal. It’s not always an easy goal, but it is the goal.

Best practice: put target age ranges on all programming and event materials so that we are communicating with our communities and they come to understand and expect these communicated boundaries. Statements like “this program is open to teens ages 12-18” state clearly who is invited to a specific program. Likewise, story time fliers should indicate the appropriate age for a story time. Let your community know who each and every program is for on every thing you do to promote your programs.

Our goal is doing teen programming, as is our goal in everything we do, is to be fair and consistent, to practice best practices, and to meet the needs of all members of our communities. Teens are not the exception, the are important parts of our communities just like every other age group.

Filed under: Teen Programming