"Our schools look like shopping malls."
"My school looks like a prison."
"People at shopping malls follow me around like I'm stealing things."
"The army wants me to join them and then go to college."
"The army wants to send you to die in Iraq."
"For 100 years!"
"The curfew in my town is 10pm every night, and I have to get permission from the sheriff's office to get a job."
"I can't find a job."
"Social Security won't be there for me when I'm old anyway."
"They won't hire me."

"What is wrong with this country," I thought to myself as I sat in on this classroom conversation last week. And suddenly, like a scene in a movie, a young woman in the back of the room blurted out,

"Why do they hate us?!?"

The rest of the class laughed, almost nervously. They'd heard the line on TV or seen it in print or on the Internet so many times that it was cliche now.

In the 1990s we were derisive about the sentiment that "youth are the future." My colleagues and I, coworkers in nonprofits across the country who were barely out of our teens, thought that sentiment was old-fashioned and didn't address the "hope/energy/creativity trust" that young people embody, that could be expended on positive, powerful solutions for today. Unfortunately, even concentrating on that idea seems to pale in comparison to the cold, harsh reality that young people face today.

The simple fact of the matter is that young people in the U.S. today face a net deficit of social prospects: the jobs, schooling, social fabric and democratic governance enjoyed by past generations appears to be falling apart right in front of their eyes. You and I both know they're not ignorant to those changes, and last week I was jarred into feeling that again when I heard the follow-up to the rhetorical quip made by the high school junior in that class. After she asked, "Why do they hate us," everyone laughed, then quieted down. As the room became hushed one guy spoke up and said, "Because we're young." As everyone smirked and someone said, "Huh," the bell rang and the class shot out of their seats.

We, any youth activist or adult ally who is reading this right now, have work to do. It is urgent and it is vital. I am not talking in a metaphorical sense either: The young people of America need hope right now if the democratic experiment we have enjoyed, in any sense, is to continue. There are glimpses of possibility out there; its our responsibility to lift them up, share them out and help move them forward.

I had an excellent conversation yesterday with the parent of two students from Olympia's Waldorf School. Following the traditional Waldorf curriculum, here in Olympia the school is regarded as the anti-traditional public school - much as other Waldorf schools are regarded internationally. The progressive community here seems to regard the school highly, and despite being out of the city - or maybe because of that - its the location for some additional cool activities - like a very awesome childbirth class my former partner and I took before my daughter was born.

Talking with this wonderful parent yesterday reinforced for me the personal nature of so much of this work. Her commitment to this school was nearly poetic, in that way that so many of us get passionate when we speak about something we're committed to and put our energy inside. It was really very refreshing, and a great reminder that I need to mix more often with folks who expend their energy in such powerful ways.

Reflecting on this wonderful conversation reminded me about the powerful presence of noblesse oblige among youth workers, teachers, politicians and parents. The phrase was coined in the 1400s to describe the necessity imposed on the French aristocracy to take care of the peasants surrounding their castles. Literally, the nobles were obligated to care for the peasants because they had the resources to - castle walls, food in the cellar, etc. Its a similar notion as paternalism, but a little different: noblesse oblige comes from a place of nobility, and "doing the right thing" towards those you subjugate; paternalism is attached to repressing individual ability for the purpose of "doing the right thing" on behalf of those you subjugate. Give the adultist nature of our society, all adults are in the position to subjugate all youth, simply because of the power dynamic granted to age. That may happen despite our best efforts, either through a passing glare at a youth standing with his skateboard in the mall or by replying in a condescending tone in class when we're in a crappy mood. The comic below demonstrates the noblesse oblige in reference towards young people in France.

The reason why the conversation about the Olympia Waldorf School brought all that to mind, and for the name of this post, is that over the last few months my former partner and I had to make a decision about schooling for our daughter in the fall when she enters kindergarten. What an awesome choice - for me. When I talked to my girl about it the story changed though. In talking she told me that she values playing, doing things, and being around other kids. Not a lot to base a kindergarten choice off of. So this change thing got personal. Stacking the chips of my commitment to democratic learning with the value my daughter's mother and I place in public education I found tremendous appreciation when we explored a local public elementary school using a building-wide democratic learning model that embraces many of the attributes of meaningful student involvement. Locally they call this school "Waldorf Light."

So change is personal.

Alright readers, here's my news, in case you're interested: I recently began a position in Washington's state health agency as their coordinated school health manager. Its a significant policy position that works within the state agency and with the state education agency to promote collaboration between the two very different fields of health and education. What does this mean for The Freechild Project, SoundOut and this blog, you ask?

Over the last six years I have struggled to maintain a direct connection with the breadth of my interests, which is the magical place where radical youth engagement collides with critical pedagogy, cultural literacy, educational liberation and authentic democracy. A lot of people and programs who work in that powerful space are grassroots organizers, emboldened community educators and brazen youth leaders, advocating for their causes in that crux without interference, support, or other interventions from government agencies. I know that because I see the work I did for more than 10 years as coming from that place.

But I have found it equally true that an equally poignant group of people and programs within that space - the place where radical youth engagement collides with critical pedagogy, cultural literacy, educational liberation and authentic democracy - operate contingent on support from government sources. They need money. And for the last six years I have worked there. While its true that I did receive a great deal of support for my work as a consultant and as the executive director of CommonAction from government sources, it is also true that it was hard to find a lot of the time, and when it did come through it was simply never enough. Also, I found it true that after I left my previous stint within state government - working in Washington's state education agency - I struggled to maintain and develop connections I had formed with government-funded programs, let alone strengthen them!

So here I am in 2008, ready to embark on a new chapter. I want to invite you to come with me. In this new capacity I will be advocating for a federally-supported program that has been at work nationally for several years, and active in this state for just as long. A strong component of this program is stakeholder investment, and ultimately students themselves. I WILL NOT BLOG about this job specifically; however, Freechild, SoundOut and this blog will soldier on - even re-invigorated. This entry is a heads-up to let you know that I'm vested in continuing this session you've been in on. Keep your eyes open - this should get interesting.