5: From Performative to Authentic Contribution: Facilitators’ Critical Self-Reflection on Equity-Oriented Positive Youth Development

Before facilitating a space for positive youth development (PYD) with equity at the center, facilitators need to reflect on their positionality in relation to the racial, cultural and historical context of the participating youth and the cultivating spaces. If “contribution” is one of the desired outcomes of PYD, meaning that youth are “involved as active participants and decision-makers in services, organizations, and community” we as facilitators in positions of power need to take on the responsibility of critical self-reflection (Dotterweich, 2015, p. 1). This self-reflection requires us to think about what it means for youth to truly take on a decision-maker role, and how we can foster spaces and opportunities for youth to authentically contribute to PYD spaces. This chapter explores both performative and authentic contribution examples in PYD settings, providing readers with the empirical, interview data, author’s personal reflections and questions for practice with the goal of fostering authentic contribution in spaces where equity-oriented PYD can take place.