Evoke skills framework

Note: The following framework was used in the 2021 Ciudades Sostenibles Honduras campaign

Youth Ready + Evoke Super Youth Powers Framework Definitions

Young people with Super Youth Powers understand and accept themselves for both who they are today and for how they can be tomorrow. They believe that their lives have a purpose, value, and meaning, and trust in their ability to shape their own lives and become peoples of positive change in their community.

Social challenges are complex and multidimensional. Young people with Super Youth Powers can work through difficult and fragmented realities that are often uncertain and ambiguous. They can imagine, think, care, and act. They maximize their impact by collaborating, experimenting, learning, persisting, and creating solutions with people from diverse backgrounds and with different perspectives – both locally and globally. Social innovators view the world with an open mind and an open heart.

The following are the five Super Youth Powers and the key skills, competencies and mindsets of young people that achieve them. Because all of these qualities and skills can be learned and developed, anyone can develop Super Youth Powers.

Super Youth Power | Creative Visionary

Youth that are Creative Visionaries believe that they can help create a positive forward-looking future for themselves and for others. They envision and create a better tomorrow and have important skills:

Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value. It is the act of putting a person’s imagination to work. Peoples who are creative generate lots of fresh and original ideas through play, research, testing, modifying, and learning and improving throughout the process.
Vision is the ability to bring ideas to life and transform them into a tangible reality. Peoples with vision see possibilities when others may see only barriers and failures. They can paint a compelling picture of an idea that enables others to see the opportunities and motivates them to act.
Curiosity is the desire to learn and understand more. Peoples who are curious are interested in other people and ideas. They keep an open mind and keep questioning as they seek out new knowledge and engage with novel experiences.
Imagination is the ability to generate original ideas and to visualize and formulate a mental image of a concept that does not currently exist. Peoples who are imaginative envision a more positive future and a better world. They are willing to dream of original untried solutions and view familiar things in a different light.

Entrepreneurial Mindset sees opportunity and pursues it. Peoples who have entrepreneurial mindsets navigate uncertainty, identify opportunities, envision a business model, take the initiative, manage risk, and see ‘failure’ as an opportunity.
Hope is a desire for an outcome and a belief that the outcome is possible. Peoples who have hope maintain positive beliefs about the future and a goal-oriented way of thinking, consisting of different pathways to achieve their goals. They are creative in pursuing their goals and optimistic that their perseverance will pay off.

Super Youth Power | Inclusive Collaborator

Youth that are Inclusive Collaborators develop healthy and trusting relationships with others and use their diverse strengths and background to accomplish shared and meaningful goals. They work collaboratively and are skilled in:

Inclusiveness ensures that all people are respected and have fair and equitable opportunities, regardless of who or how they are. Peoples who practice inclusiveness value diversity, tolerate differences, show cultural sensitivity, and resist reducing people to sterotypes. They are conscientious of those at risk of being excluded and take actions that ensure everyone has a voice and can participate.

Teamwork is the ability of a group of people to act together to accomplish a shared goal. People who are good at teamwork recognize that they can create something of even greater value when they collaborate together to share responsibilities, set roles, and work collectively. They are able to compromise and cooperate, and know what strengths they bring to the group, using them to contribute both to maintaining the team and to accomplishing the goal.
Communication is the act of sharing and exchanging information, thoughts, values, and emotions. People who are good communicators listen actively and empathetically. They are respectful, and sensitive to body language, tone, and differences in communication styles. They present and defend their ideas thoughtfully, with confidence and in a compelling way. Good communicators can be assertive respectfully and without aggression. They can adjust how they effectively communicate according to the social or professional context.
Relationship Management is the ability to build and maintain healthy relationships based on constructuve conversations and trust. People with good relationship management skills use self-awareness of their emotions and those of others to mange interactions successfully. They develop networks of mutual support, and are able to see the benefit of connecting with many different people and creating bonds even with people they may not be fond of.
Conflict Resolution is the ability to resolve conflict peacefully and help others to do the same. People who are good at conflict resolution use their communication skills and emotional intelligence to facilitate mutual understanding and peaceful resolution, even when agreement isn’t possible.
Generosity of Spirit is the willingness to share the best of who you are and what you have with others. People with a generous spirit share their time, attention, expertise, and resources with others, joyously and without expecting anything in return. They relate to others with kindness, patience, respect, openness and gratitude.

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Super Youth Power | Creative Visionary

Youth that are Reflective Problem Solvers think clearly, creatively, and reflectively about a problem and experiment with possible solutions. They have the ability to:

Critical Reflection is a process by which we make meaning from what we are learning and experiencing. People who are good at critical reflection question and examine their assumptions, reasoning, emotions, behavior, decisions, and actions. They refine, adjust, and develop their ideas by considering new ideas and evidence, both individually and with their team. They are also good at giving, receiving, and adjusting to feedback.

Problem Solving is the process of finding solutions to (often) difficult or complex issues. People who are good at problem solving work through a problem-solving cycle, from identifying issues and generating possible solutions to planning and prioritizing solutions. They understand how different parts of complex issues fit together and influence each other, and they conceptualize and consider them holistically to make good decisions in the process of problem solving.
Research & Analysis is the ability to examine and evaluate an issue in a structured way to gain a better understanding of it. People good at research and analysis gather information from multiple reliable sources, identify what is relevant, and use a range of congnitive tools to organize, analyze and make meaning of it. They are also able to conduct primary research through interview and survey.
Goal Setting & Planning skills help us envision a preferred future and a pathway to it. People with these skills understand that goals are more likely to be attained if you plan to attain them. They set aspirational yet attainable goals, and identify the steppingstones that break the goal down into smaller manageable steps that can be focused on in sequence. They articulate and declare their goals and make a commitment to their plan, creating processes and habits that help them stick to their plan.
Experimentation is the ability to test an idea or method and understand it in a real-world setting, observe it in action, learn from the experience, iterate on the idea, and repeat the process. People who are good at experimentation create a prototype of their idea, test it, accept feedback, and keep trying (iterate) when things do not turn out as originally planned.
Openness & Adaptability is being receptive to new ideas, viewpoints, and approaches and receptive to changes in behaviors and beliefs based on new information, changing context or different ways of seeing the world. They resist thought rigidity and nurture the capacity to tolerate ambiguity and remain flexible.

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Super Youth Power | Empathetic Changemakers

Youth that are Empathetic Changemakers are proactive and show their commitment for justice. They actively listen for understanding, engage with issues, mobilize and serve with others in order to transform people’s lives in their community and in the world. They take action and are skilled at:

Empathy is the ability to be aware of and care about another person’s emotions, perspectives, or circumstances. People who are empathetic consider the emotions, concerns, aspirations & perspectives of others. They try to genuinely understand by listening and paying attention, recognizing that issues that led people to the situation they are in are often ambiguous.

Contribution is actively purseing opportunities to provide for the common good and care of others. People who contribute volunteer their time, talent and resources to participate in community work. They support other people to create change and find purpose in the possibility of bringing about positive change.
Leadership is the ability to mobilize the collective capacity of people to act and dedicate their ideas and energies towards and making things better. They help others commit to tackling difficult challenges that do not have easy solutions, consider different styles and models, and foster team engagement over a sustained period. They are truthful.
Courage is the ability to act in a way that is consistent with one’s values and conscience, despite fear and in the face of uncertain outcomes. People with courage stand up for positive values in the face of negative social pressure. They are willing to engage others in an authentic way, challenge status quo thinking and speak truth to power.
Values-led Action is doing things based on ethical decisions and a fairness orientation. People who take value-based action consider issues of social and economic justice and inequality issues, assess their rights and responsibilities, and act with honesty
Responsibility is means being accountable for one’s beliefs, words, and actions. Responsible people commit themselves to act consistently with their values and their word, and understand when it is their duty to act. They speak truthfully, are trustworthy and dependable.

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Super Youth Power | Resilient Agent

Youth that are Resilient Agents have a sense of purpose, self-efficacy and an accurate recognition of who they are and who they can become, which enables them to persist, learn and grow, and exercise control over their lives. They are aware of who they are and the potential they have and have:

Positive Self-Identity is having an accurate self-perception and self-efficacy. People with a positive self-identity have self-compassion, self-confidence, and maintain a positive sense of self.

Perseverance is the ability to persist through challenges. People with perseverance sustain their focus and effort in positive way and work through setbacks,
Sense of Purpose is having a definition of success and meaning in one’s life rooted in outwardly oriented goals. People with a sense of purpose articulate their values and find meaning in being part of something bigger than one’s self.
Self-Awareness is the ability to recognize one’s emotions, strengths, and other factors that influence their behavior. People with self-awareness recognize their strengths, motivations, and interests, and can identify their emotions.
Self-Management is the ability to exert emotional and physical self-control. People who have self-management skills have attentional focus, manage their impulses, respect rules, take responsible decision under stress, manage their emotions, and build effective habits.
Growth Mindset are motivated to keep learning. People with a growth mindset recognize that they can improve with effort and practice, accept that making mistakes does not mean that you are not smart, but rather see making mistakes as an opportunity for improvement. They challenge themselves to reach their goals.

Self-Care is attending to your holistic wellbeing. People who practice self-care recognize their physical, emotional and spiritual needs and maintain healthy practices related to nutrition, hygiene, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, workplace safety and spiritual/personal growth. They know their civil and workplace rights and how to protect themselves from online risks.

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Super Youth Power | Productive Citizen

Youth that are Productive Citizens are willing and capable to engage in socially responsible and economically productive activities. They are prepared for the world of work and citizenship with:

Reading Comprehension is having functional literacy. People with reading comprehension read with adequate fluency and comprehend appropriately leveled text for both learning and pleasure.
Financial Literacy is the ability to set financial goals and plans to achieve them. People with financial literacy are competent managers of their financial health. They understand how budgeting, spending, saving, and borrowing affect their financial goals and make effective use of planning, monitoring and prioritizing to achieve them. They can distinguish trustworthy financial services and avoid scams.
Digital/Cyber Literacy is the ability to make effective use of computer and mobile technology, common appications, workplace software and online resources for personal and professional benefit. They can recognize online scams and threats to themselves and their information.
Career Planning & Job Search know how and where to search for a job. People with this ability plan their careers consider how to match their interest with job possibilities, create a job search portfolio, write and update a CV and cover letter, and how to be interviewed. They understand the importance of first impressions and resilience in their job search.
Entrepreneurship is the ability to identify and act upon opportunities and ideas to create value for others. Entrepreneurs assess potential, articulate a value proposition, create a business model, identify resources, and present their ideas.

Work Readiness is being able to get and maintain a job. A person who is employable behaves appropriately in the workplace, manages their time, and respect rules and other people. They know their rights and responsibilities and are aware of issues regarding safety in the workplace.