*I’ll start by saying that I have expressed some of these thoughts to last year’s youth organizers and I deeply appreciate their efforts.*
My, then 15-year-old, daughter came with me to her first GA last year and I am sorry to say she was disappointed. We had expected more formal “programming” and without it she found herself adrift.
I appreciate what the organizers told me when I offered this feedback - which was that the goal was to have the youth create their own structure and experience. My daughter and at least a few other youth, however, needed more structure from adults with a laid out plan of how she could engage - and she needed it ahead of time. I will say that she is not super interested in the work of the association - mostly what she wants is to connect with other teens who share her values and her sense of fun.
So I support more resources for getting youth engaged. Perhaps regional youth cons during the year - organized with financial and staff/volunteer support from the UUA in conjunction with local congregations? My daughter loved the few youth cons she has attended and expected GA to be one big Con.
I admit I know nothing about organizing today’s youth. My commitment is to support our RE director to get the youth from our church engaged in any programming that comes our way. And I will do my best to get my daughter to come with me next year!
One other comment is that school here in the northeast doesn’t end until nearly the end of June depending on snow days. So many youth cannot attend GA because it lands during finals. I took my daughter out of school early.