And if we are not to forever lose those young people who do not believe that they, or anyone else, can effect positive social change, they must see it. It challenges young people to act on what they believe and the results provide concrete examples of what young people can do. Fourth, problem solving acts as a bridge between young people and adults, since it requires that they work together. Just as adults can't solve our nation's public problems by themselves, neither can young people. Just as young people have unique resources, so do adults.
Adults have a broader range of life experiences and greater cumulative knowledge.
They have access to financial resources. They have relationships and skills that kids have yet to develop. While young people are much more capable than we give them credit for, kids are not just little grown-ups. Adults cannot abdicate responsibility for guiding and teaching them. Finally, through public problem solving young people can gain the skills, knowledge, and understandings we claim to value as a society.