The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation offers a workbook with hands-on strategies to inspire youth and engage them in community development and improvement efforts. Telling Stories of Self-Trust and Hope: A Tool for Engaging Youth in Community Change presents resources that include word webs, community collages, as well as civic maps to connect with youth. The authors contend that "change happens in communities when people change the story they tell about themselves and others. Stories of self-trust and hope help us to see the community and ourselves differently."

This kit will help get youth telling their stories -- to each other, to the community, to themselves. This is important not only for youth, but for the entire community as it seeks to move forward. Several successful community change stories are included.

* To order this publication, visit the Harwood Institute's publications page.