Get Involved...

The National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth for the Family and Youth Services Bureau; Administration on Children, Youth and Families for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provide a number of positive ways to work with youth.

Local and State Governments:

Youth under the age of 18 can't vote.  But they can contribute to civic life, and many them already have opinions about how to improve services their local and State governments provide.  To tap into the energy and passion of young people, a large number of State and local governments across the nation are soliciting youth opinions on everything from schools to homelessness to city planning to violence prevention.  When youth have a say in local and State decisionmaking, they gain feelings of competence, usefulness, belonging and power.

Communities benefit when youth get involved.  Adults who interact with young people on government councils or who see the positive things that youth can accomplish will be more likely to view young people positively and listen to their needs.  When communities empower their youth by giving them leadership opportunities, support from caring adults and chances to make a difference, the communities in turn become safer, healthier and better places to live.

How can local and State government team up with youth?

1. •Start a city or statewide youth council.
   

2. •Hold an annual local or statewide youth summit.
   

3. •Appoint youth representatives to your school board or organize a student advisory council for your public schools.
   

4. •Hold neighborhood nmeetings or "town halls" with youth.
   

5. •Establish an annual youth volunteering day or week.
   

6. •Recruit volunteer or paid peer educators for community outreach programs.
   

7. •Appoint youth to community task forces.
   

8. •Create a grant program for youth civic engagement projects and involve youth in the grant review process.
   

9. •Invite young people to testify about bills that affect them.
   

10. •Invite young people to suggest ideas for new legislation.
    

11. •Organize regular forums for youth to communicate to police.
    

12. •Ask youth to join commissions studying issues that affect them such as education, violence, arts, health, poverty, recreation, and so on.
    

13. •Start a youth court which juvenile offenders are judged by their peers, who act as judge, jury, prosecutor and defense.
    

14. •Hire youth as poll workers during elections.
    

Resources

Fostering Leadership.  Author: S. Kellam. 2000. Available from Benton Foundation 202-638-5770; www.connectforkids.org

Promoting Youth Participation: Action Kit for Municipal Leaders, Promoting Youth Participation Kit Issue #3.  Author: Institute for Youth, Education and Families.  2001.  Available from National League of Cities, 202-626-3000; www.nlc.org

The Youth Involved Process.  In Best Practices in Youth Development in Public Park and Recreation Settings.  Authors: P. Witt and J. Crompton. 2002. Available from National Recreation and Park Association, 703-858-0784; www.nrpa.org

Web

Center for Youth Development and Policy Research, Academy for Educational Development
Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development
National Youth Court Center
National Youth Leadership Council