ABSTRACT
Roger Hart in his book, Children's Participation, makes an excellent point about not overselling the efficacy of planning. Elected leaders may listen politely and not be the least bit persuaded to take action in line with the young peoples' suggestions. Hart is equally skeptical of young peoples' participation that is done largely for public relations purposes. It may be helpful to test the level of commitment of partners by giving them assignments in the planning stages. As the charrette leader, one may need to step in and ask for time to visit with the students in the classroom and conduct the exercise in advance of the charrette. Or, one needs to spend more time coaching the teacher, setting deadlines, and checking up on the work. Regular communication with the key players or stakeholders is critical. And much of that communication needs to be direct, on the phone, through e-mail, or face to face.
