Youth-Led, Adult-Supported Scouting

Youth-led, adult-supported Scouting is an inter-generational partnership between Kirikiriroa and St. Peter’s Scout Group youth members, leaders, and adult helpers where youth are increasingly self-leading as they grow and develop, supported by adults encouraging safe and real-life learning experiences.

Youth led, adult supported Scouting is a partnership between youth and adults, with the different sections of Kirikiriroaand St. Peter’s Scout Group progressively developing youth participation according to the developmental needs of the young person.

Youth led, adult supported Scouting comes from good youth participation and is about providing opportunities for young people to; lead, influence, inform, shape, design and contribute to their Scouting journey, with appropriate support from adults. Learning by doing and being involved in decision making is crucial for the development of Kirikiriroa and St. Peter’s Scout Group members and the community they live in.

Kirikiriroa and St. Peter’s Scout Group’s commitment to youth participation is about:

  • Making better decisions; with youth members having a say about what goes on, and what they do.
  • Giving youth members a voice to be heard and an ability to influence their programme, activities and the organisation; especially those under the age of 18 years.
  • Supporting youth members right to express their opinions and be considered in decision making, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC).
  • Developing healthy and resilient youth members by providing them with opportunities to be involved in decision-making and being valued members
  • Enabling youth members to lead, with adults support.

Youth participation will differ for each section due to the developmental stages of life, and also may not be the same for individuals within the section; this would be something that an adult supporting young people would notice within their section.

A model of interaction and participation between different generations (fitting nicely with youth led, adult supported Scouting) is well defined with the Maori philosophy of Tuakana Teina. This Māori term means the sharing of knowledge and experience between Tuakana (older) and Teina (younger) people. Tuakana Teina covers the different interaction and levels of experience we use in Kirikiriroa and St. Peter’s Scout Group varying from:

Peer-to-peer: Teina teaches Teina, Tuakana teaches Tuakana, in the Scout Troop, Venture Unit, Rovers and Adult sections.

Younger to older: Teina teaches Tuakana – the Teina has some skills in an area that the Tuakana does not have and is able to teach the Tuakana i.e. use of social media and new technology.

Older to younger: Tuakana has the knowledge and content to pass on to Teina. Fitting with all sections and generations but likely to be more noticeable with the Kea Club and Cub Pack.