The Flower of Participation is a tool developed by CHOICE which uses the metaphor/image of a blooming flower to illustrate meaningful youth participation and the factors that enable it to bloom and flourish. The metaphor can be used to distinguish between different forms of participation, and to determine whether they are meaningful or not. The flower is based on the Ladder of Participation by Roger Hart, however, a ladder implies a hierarchical or evolutionary system whereby the highest level is the ultimate goal. CHOICE decided to instead use a flower which we feel better reflects that there are multiple ways for young people to participate meaningfully, and that the type of participation will depend on various factors. The tool describes the core elements of Meaningful and Inclusive Youth Participation (MIYP) (the roots), the different forms of MIYP ( the leaves and petals of the flow), non meaningful forms of youth participation (the insects) and the preconditions of MIYP (the water and the sun). To view the Flower of Participation and its narrative, click here!