From London to Preston, we proved that youth voice is a universal necessity. By bridging the gap between global scholarship and local action, this initiative dismantled adultism and fostered community belonging—expanding youth-led action across England and proving that Heartspace has no geographic boundaries.
The Illusion: Engagement as a Localized “Program”
Often, we treat youth engagement as a localized set of activities—a youth club in Preston or a conference in London. The surface-level problem is usually framed as a need for “better programming” or “more participation.” When I arrived in England, the assumption was that North American models of “youth voice” were simply tools to be imported. But the deeper reality is that disengagement isn’t a lack of programs; it is a systemic disconnection of the heart that spans across borders.
“We are capable of such beautiful dreams and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone, only you’re not. The only thing we’ve found that makes the emptiness bearable is each other.” — Carl Sagan
The Shift: From Importing Models to Exporting Agency
By applying the Heartspace capacities of Humility and Focus, I moved away from “teaching a model” and toward “fostering a capacity.” Whether I was in a room with global scholars or a residential hall with 100 young people, the focus shifted from how to engage others to how we recognize the engagement that is already present. We stopped looking at youth as “future citizens” and started seeing them as current, powerful actors within an escapable network of mutuality.
The Compass in Action: A Clear Accounting of Labor
Creating systemic change across a nation requires engaging every level of the “cascade”—from the ivory tower to the street corner. This initiative involved:
- Scholarly Synthesis & Global Dialogue: I participated in the Community Development Journal Thinkery, collaborating with scholars from eight countries. I presented the Principle of Engagement as a theoretical framework, influencing the direction of international academic discourse on community development.
- National Leadership & Youth Residentials: In partnership with Community Organisers, I keynoted and facilitated workshops for 100 youth and a dozen adults in suburban London. We conducted a “Deep Dive” into the Adultism Framework, coaching adults to step back so youth-led action could step forward.
- Local Direct Action & Technical Assistance: In Preston, I worked on the ground with youth workers and direct-service providers. This involved facilitating focus groups, meeting with school heads, and providing technical assistance to the University of Cumbria to ensure that “Youth Voice” was integrated into the city’s educational architecture.
The Reality: A Transatlantic Ripple Effect
The results of this multi-layered engagement were felt across the UK. My work was attributed to an expansion of youth voice activities in multiple communities and a shift in how national organizations programmed for engagement. By treating “belonging” as a skill rather than a sentiment, we helped practitioners and young people alike find their compass in a world that often tries to tell them they are lost.
Summary
In 2019, the Fostering Youth Voice initiative in the United Kingdom utilized the Compass of Personal Engagement to bridge the gap between global academic theory and local street-level action across London and Preston. By partnering with the Community Development Journal to influence international scholarly discourse and coaching 150 leaders through our the Adultism Framework with an organization called Community Organisers, the project dismantled systemic barriers to belonging. This multi-layered engagement—ranging from high-level technical assistance at the University of Cumbria to direct focus groups with youth in Preston—ultimately transformed institutional cultures, proving that authentic engagement is a universal capacity that, when intentionally directed, creates a lasting ripple effect of agency and community connection.
The Personal Engagement Institute 