Recruiting Teens

There are multiple ways to recruit teens for an initiative of this type and include:

  • Staff working on the project may contact teens they have relationships with that may be interested in this work.
  • Organizations that work with teens in the community may recruit and/or suggest teens for the project.

No matter what form recruitment takes, it’s possible to garner teen interest by highlighting that teens:

  • Have the chance to design and launch a product that others will benefit from
  • Have the opportunity to build something together, learn from each other, and learn from professionals and experts in technology and other fields
  • Build relationships with their peers and adults 
  • Expand on their interests
  • Have access to, or be given, equipment/technology that others may not have
  • Learn something that others might not have the chance to learn
group of teens

Building Relationships

Succeeding in this work requires relationships with teens that are built and fostered even before the first co-design session.

Once teens are recruited for the project, focus on relationships by:

  • Using Discord or another technology that gives adults and teens the chance to talk with each other and get comfortable with each other.
  • Having conversations with teens via Discord to engage them in what’s about to take place as a part of the project
  • Providing mentoring and coaching support as teens get setup with VR and/or other technologies
  • Being open to getting to know one another in an informal environment