By Julie Rogers Bascom, Director of Learning and Leadership

Amplifying youth voice is crucial for building strong, inclusive communities and organizations. Starting a Youth Advisory Council (YAC) provides a powerful platform for engaging young people and ensuring their perspectives shape your organization’s policies and priorities.

A Youth Advisory Council serves a pivotal role in guaranteeing that the perspectives and concerns of young people are not just acknowledged, but integrated into decision-making processes affecting them directly. Young people participate in programs – why not ask them what they need? What are their suggestions to your policy discussions that have to do with youth? How might your agency, school, or program benefit from ideas from young people?

Youth Councils offer many benefits, like teaching leadership skills, building connections between youth, adults, and organizations, and maintaining a youth-centric approach to programs and services. However, launching a successful and thriving Youth Advisory Council takes careful planning. We’ve seen groups excited to involve young people without designing an experience that is sustainable and inclusive. When this happens, the YAC is at risk of dissolving, which slows down future efforts in this work. So, as you get started, focus on these 8 steps to help you create an experience that benefits and supports both youth and your organization!

8 Steps to Launch a Thriving, Sustainable Youth Advisory Council

Build a Planning Team

Assemble a diverse team of engaged youth, adult allies, and community stakeholders to plan and launch the council. Identify youth leaders from schools, clubs, nonprofits and other groups, and recruit champions from local government, education, youth services, community organizations and more.

Define the Mission and Goals

Clearly define the youth council’s purpose, scope and objectives. Why do you want a YAC?  Will it advise the city council or school board? Will it focus on specific issues like education, recreation, or civic engagement? Might it be a source of feedback, outreach, or action? Get specific about what you want to achieve. Make sure your why addresses reciprocal outcomes, clearly defining what’s in it for the organization and what’s in it for young people.

Design the Structure

Decide how members will be selected – by application, election, or appointment. Consider term lengths, age requirements, and how to build a diverse, representative council. Outline a basic governance framework with roles like chair, vice-chair, and committee leads to provide leadership opportunities. Make sure the tasks are developmentally appropriate and accessible for youth. Examine some of the barriers young people might face to meeting times, transportation to the meetings, or access to technology. 

Identify Required Resources

While Youth Councils can operate on a lean budget, you may need some funding for basics like meeting spaces, supplies, transportation for members, etc. Explore grants, city partners, business sponsors, and community fundraisers. You’ll also need dedicated staff or volunteers to coordinate logistics. If it’s not assigned to one or two people, often youth voice efforts fall off the radar. For a YAC to be sustainable, there needs to be institutional commitment, evidenced by including it in policy, staff assignment, and funding. 

Establish Operating Procedures

You might want to draft bylaws, a code of conduct, and policies around membership, meetings, decision-making, and other operations. This provides structure and clarity, which are important in building youth commitment. Outline processes for identifying priorities, forming committees, conducting research, and presenting recommendations to decision-makers. This might be a new process for young people, so make sure these steps and structures are clear and feasible!

Build Skills and Capacity

Provide leadership training, team-building activities, and educational sessions to prepare youth members for their roles. Develop their knowledge about community issues, government, public speaking and more. For adult coordinators and advisors, offer training on positive youth development, facilitation, and working effectively with young people.

Promote and Recruit

Once you’ve built the foundation, promote the Youth Council opportunity and recruit inaugural members. Outreach through schools, youth programs, social media and other channels to attract a diverse applicant pool that reflects your community. Consider who you are hoping to recruit and what qualities you are looking for.

Launch and Celebrate!

After selecting members, celebrate the official launch with a kickoff meeting and community event to build excitement. Invite key stakeholders and get media coverage to raise the council’s profile. Establishing a Youth Council takes coordination, but the long-term civic benefits are rewarding to young people, the adults who support them, and the community where they grow and learn. By following these 8 steps, you’ll create a strong, sustainable strategy for uplifting youth voices and perspectives, growing community leaders, and building strong organizations.

Feeling overwhelmed? Understandable, but if your aim is to establish a youth advisory council that not only boosts your organization but also enriches the lives of the young participants, careful planning is key. If you’re eager to explore how NYLC can provide invaluable support for your endeavor, why not schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced staff members? Let’s embark on this journey together and create a meaningful impact.

Schedule a free consultation to get started!