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Youth serve as advisors to the organization’s leadership. They provide input on various issues, from program development to organizational policies. While they don’t typically have decision-making power, their insights influence decision-makers.

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Youth hold formal positions on the organization’s board of directors, granting them the right to vote on policies, budgets, and strategic decisions. This ensures that youth perspectives are directly included in high-level decision-making.

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Youth engage in research to assess community needs and use their findings to design or improve programs.

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Youth involvement in program design ensures that programs are relevant, effective, and responsive to their needs and interests. Engaging young people in the creation, planning, and refinement of programs allows organizations to develop initiatives that genuinely reflect youth perspectives and priorities. The level of youth involvement can vary from providing feedback to fully co-leading program development.

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Youth advisory councils, youth advisory committees to nonprofit organizations

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Clear communication channels for youth to express their opinions.

Adult mentors or facilitators to guide discussions and ensure youth contributions are valued.

Regular meetings to maintain engagement and alignment with organizational goals.

Access to information that allows youth to make informed recommendations.

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A youth representative on the board of a nonprofit, or youth inclusion in corporate governance structures.

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Youth board member training to understand governance structures, financials, and decision-making processes.

Support in legal and administrative tasks related to board membership.

Clear roles and expectations for youth on the board, ensuring they have the opportunity to influence decisions.

Opportunities for networking with other board members to build connections and learn from their experiences.

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Description: Youth provide input and feedback on programs designed by adults. Their voices are considered, but they do not have decision-making power.

Examples: Surveys, focus groups, listening sessions.

Capacity Needed:

Strong communication methods to collect youth input.

Processes for analyzing and integrating feedback into program design.

A commitment to transparency—youth should see how their input influences decisions.

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Collaborative Model (Youth-Adult Partnerships)

Description: Youth work alongside adults to co-design programs. They contribute ideas, help shape activities, and participate in decision-making.

Examples: Youth-adult planning teams, co-design workshops.

Capacity Needed:

Training for both youth and adults on shared decision-making.

A culture of mutual respect where youth perspectives are valued.

Logistical support (e.g., stipends, flexible meeting schedules) to enable meaningful youth participation.

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Description: Youth take the lead in program creation, with adults providing guidance and logistical support. Youth determine program goals, activities, and implementation strategies.

Examples: Youth-led social initiatives, peer education programs.

Capacity Needed:

Skill-building opportunities (e.g., leadership, budgeting, project management).

Funding and resources for youth-led initiatives.

Adult mentorship to offer guidance without controlling the process.

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Youth conducting community assessments, evaluating existing programs.

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Training in research methods and data collection.

Access to resources for conducting research (e.g., funding, software, facilitators).

Pathways for using findings to shape real programmatic changes.

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How do you think we should gather youth input on their preferred youth engagement models?

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How do you think we should gather youth input on their preferred youth engagement models?

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Write down as many ideas as you can

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As a full group, decide on one method to move forward with.

Next Steps

When asking for youth input on their preferred youth engagement models, what considerations must we make?

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Please read through the Youth Voice/Engagement Models.

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Please read through the Youth Voice/Engagement Models.

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What questions or concerns do you have about the Youth Voice and Engagement models proposed ?

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As a group, categorize into similar themes

Discuss pros and cons of each method using guiding questions:

Effectiveness: Will this method capture diverse youth voices?

Feasibility: Do we have the time, resources, and staff to implement it?

Youth-Friendliness: Will young people feel comfortable and engaged?

What other considerations must we make?

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low hanging fruit- reaching out to coalition members and youth matter grantees

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low hanging fruit- reaching out to coalition members and youth matter grantees

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(ie. youth in schools, school clubs, those not currently engaged with orgs in coalitions)

-Reaching out to counselors- from equity perspectives, counselors can connect us from a diversity of backgrounds to be connected with youth that are not connected to traditional resources