Cultivating Rural Youth Agency: A Participatory Action Research on Public Speaking Efficacy and Socio-Religious Mobilization

Yuli Marlina (Universitas Islam Jakarta)
Zainal Arifin (STAI Miftahul Ula Nganjuk)
Achmad Daengs GS (Universitas 45 Surabaya)
Heri Nurdianto (STMIK Dharma Wacana Lampung)

BISMA: Bimbingan Swadaya Masyarakat
Vol. 8 No. 4 (2026): October 2026

Abstract: Rural non-formal Islamic educational institutions, such as Taman Pendidikan Al-Qur'an (TPQ) and Madrasah Diniyah (Madin), frequently face structural constraints in developing youth communication skills and public efficacy. Objective: This study evaluates a transformative community engagement initiative designed to elevate public speaking efficacy, socio-religious leadership, and environmental-economic resilience among Qur'anic youth in a rural agrarian setting. Methods: Employing Participatory Action Research (PAR) integrated with Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), the intervention engaged 12 student facilitators, local religious authorities, village administrators, and youth groups across four iterative cycles: Discovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny. Implementation comprised structured public speaking coaching, inter-institutional speech and Islamic poetry competitions, waste-to-resource innovations (smokeless eco-waste units and ecobricks), and agricultural food processing (cassava wingko). Results: Post-intervention assessments revealed an 85% increase in youth public speaking confidence, an active enrollment surge across five TPQs, and substantial community adoption of eco-friendly waste management and local economic upcycling. Conclusion and Implications: The PAR framework successfully transformed non-formal religious spaces into vibrant hubs for youth agency, demonstrating that embedding public communication coaching within Qur'anic ethics fosters sustainable socio-religious capital and rural community resilience. Abstrak:  Lmbaga pendidikan Islam non-formal di pedesaan, seperti Taman Pendidikan Al-Qur'an (TPQ) dan Madrasah Diniyah (Madin), sering kali mengalami hambatan struktural dalam mengembangkan keterampilan komunikasi dan efikasi publik generasi muda. Tujuan: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi inisiatif pengabdian masyarakat transformatif yang dirancang untuk meningkatkan efikasi public speaking, kepemimpinan sosial-keagamaan, serta ketahanan lingkungan dan ekonomi generasi Qur'ani di masyarakat agraris. Metode: Menggunakan pendekatan Participatory Action Research (PAR) yang diintegrasikan dengan Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), kegiatan ini melibatkan 12 fasilitator mahasiswa, tokoh agama, perangkat desa, serta kelompok pemuda melalui empat siklus berulang: Discovery, Dream, Design, dan Destiny. Pelaksanaan program meliputi pendampingan public speaking, kompetisi pidato dan puisi Islami antar-lembaga, inovasi pengelolaan sampah (tong pengolahan sampah ramah lingkungan tanpa asap dan ecobrick), serta diversifikasi olahan pangan lokal (wingko singkong). Hasil: Evaluasi pasca-intervensi menunjukkan peningkatan efikasi public speaking santri sebesar 85%, lonjakan partisipasi di lima TPQ, serta adopsi nyata masyarakat terhadap pengelolaan sampah ramah lingkungan dan UMKM lokal. Kesimpulan dan Implikasi: Kerangka PAR terbukti efektif mentransformasi lembaga keagamaan non-formal menjadi pusat pemberdayaan pemuda, menegaskan bahwa pengintegrasian pelatihan komunikasi publik berbasis nilai Qur'ani mampu memperkuat modal sosial keagamaan dan kemandirian desa secara berkelanjutan.