“There’s this fear — this misunderstanding — that youth should be seen and not heard, and that’s just not a thing anymore.” ~ Siobhan Grayson
What makes someone “askable”?
Arlington, Virginia has launched an “Askable Adult” program to build adults’ capacity to be nonjudgmental and approachable resources and supports for youth in the county. Program proponents believe that everyone has a role to play in supporting the health and well-being of children and youth in the community.
And on their short list of key skills that make adults more askable?Be a curious co-pilot.
To help us learn what it means to be an Askable Adult, I was joined by three dynamic and devoted Arlington community builders: Ashley Blowe, Training and Prevention Specialist, Department of Human Services; Siobhan Grayson, Youth Outreach Coordinator for the Prevention Unit under the Department of Human Services; and Scotney Young, Prevention and Outreach Manager at Doorways, a domestic and sexual violence response organization.
Forty-two percent of middle and high school youth are saying ‘I talk to someone at home about what matters to me frequently or always’ — So there’s a large percent of youth that are not doing that, and that’s something we can really hone it on and try to support and change. ~ Ashley Blowe
A shout-out to Siobhan Grayson, who is retiring just as this show goes on the air. Thank you for all you have done to support the community — and especially our youth. We appreciate you.
Giving credit where credit is due: here’s the Vermont Askable Adult program that inspired Arlington’s efforts.
Kids have excellent BS radar. Check out this research to see how important being a credible source is.
“I think people assume that you must be curious in order to ask questions. We actually see that it’s the reverse: that when people come up with their own questions they become curious.” ~ Naomi Campbell
The Right Question Institute (RQI), works to build a more just and equitable democracy by strengthening people’s ability toask questions and participate in decisions that affect them. As RQI puts it, “When people of all ages learn to ask the right questions, it leads to feeling a new sense of agency, confidence & power.”
Naomi Campbell directs RQI’s Legal Empowerment program, leading RQI’s efforts to promote the adoption of the Right Question Strategy in legal practice settings serving low-income communities.
The work is aimed at offering a simple way to integrate capacity-building into practice at the micro-level, as part of a systemic change strategy at the macro-level. That sounded to me like a serious curiosity practice in service of community transformation and I wanted to know more.
Our job is to simplify and democratize teaching very fundamental critical thinking skills.
Take a look at this excellent coverage from The Guardian on work by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir on scarcity. Their work is not focused on curiosity specifically, but it certainly resonates!
WITH THIS EPISODE: I’m delighted to be debuting on the Pacifica Network in general and on WPVM-LP 103.7 FM in Asheville (NC) in particular. Catch the show Thursday mornings on The Voice of Asheville at 9:30am online at wpvmfm.org. If you are a fan of a Pacifica Network Affiliate station and think Choose to be Curious would be a good addition to their line-up, please let them know the show is available!
Listening to the Universe 