CA Strategic Plan
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Youth Involvement
& Development
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Outcome Areas
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& Other Drugs
Teen Pregnancy & STI’s
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Environmental
& Occupational Health
Out of Home Youth –
Resources on Mental Health
 
 
Youth Involvement & Development | Overview
 
   
Involve youth in the policy process
 
This is Chapter 2, Recommendation 1 of California's adolescent health strategic plan. To view the full plan, click here.

Involving young people in the policy process is a critical step toward the creation of public policy that supports adolescent health. Young people have firsthand knowledge of their school, family, and community environments which should form the basis of policies that impact youth. They can conduct youth outreach and collect data in ways that adults cannot. Moreover, youth often provide pragmatic and fresh perspectives that challenge and expand traditional thinking. Their desire to look beyond conventional parameters and their ability to give a firsthand account of the issues make youth effective in attracting the attention of policymakers and the media.

  
     
  The tremendous contributions that young people can make to the policy process are largely untapped. Many young people remain disillusioned and disengaged from decisions that affect their lives, as evidenced by low rates of voter registration and turnout among young adults. There is a notable lack of emphasis within schools and communities on educating young people to participate in community decision-making and public policy. Too many youth lack the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to become informed and active citizens.  
     
  Fortunately, some organizations and communities are beginning to recognize the importance of a youth perspective. The State Board of Education has a student member and hears recommendations from a student advisory board each year. Some cities and counties have established youth commissions or youth advisory councils, and some professional conferences are making an effort to include youth participants. Many non-profits are working with youth to identify and address policy issues. At the state level, examples include The California Wellness Foundation's initiatives on violence prevention and teen pregnancy prevention, and the California Youth Council run by Teenwork, a private, non-profit. Youth ALIVE! is an example of a successful effort to involve youth in policy locally. Their group, Teens on Target, has worked to ban gun show ads from the Oakland Tribune. Other organizations are teaching youth about the policy process through mock trials and legislatures, and service-learning organizations are beginning to connect youth volunteer work with engagement in broader policy issues. Still other projects train adults to be more competent at involving youth in decision-making capacities.  
     
  At the same time that adults are beginning to open doors for youth to participate in the policy process, youth are demanding a seat at the table. The emergence of Raptivism, which combines rap music with political activism, is one element of a new generation and genre of youth activism. Today's youth activism is led by ethnically and socioeconomically diverse youth concerned about issues such as jobs, juvenile justice, and the environment. The groundswell of youth protests against Proposition 21, the March 2000 juvenile crime initiative, was a clear indication that young people are ready to make themselves heard.  
     
  Given the opportunity, many youth are eager to learn about public policy and to become actively involved in changing the rules and systems that impact them. However, giving youth a meaningful role requires resources, time, and flexibility. ReSource are needed for practical concerns such as transportation, staff supervision and support, meeting space, refreshments, and incentives or compensation. Involving youth requires time for training and discussion. Youth involvement also can require operational changes such as holding meetings when teens are available which may require staff to work evenings or weekends. Thus, the call for greater youth involvement must be coupled with practical strategies and adequate resources to make the process work.  
     
  Moreover, true youth involvement requires even deeper changes. Adults need to be willing to change established practices and to share control of decision-making. This does not mean that there is no room for guidance; in fact, young people thrive in situations where caring adults offer support and room for them to test solutions, grow and achieve. But there must be an understanding that youth are important resources with valuable contributions to make. Involving youth in the policy process requires adults to become true partners with youth in efforts to create change.  
     
  Strategies  
     
  1. Provide youth with the skills needed to influence policy.  
 
  • Provide youth with training in areas such as leadership, collaboration, organizing, policy advocacy, and media.
  • Develop channels for disseminating information to youth about policy issues affecting their lives.
  • Encourage adults who speak about issues related to youth to share the podium with qualified youth speakers.
  
     
  2. Create opportunities for youth to shape policy.  
 
  • Include youth in hearings, boards, and commissions at the state level and support their participation with leadership development training, transportation, and incentives such as school credit.
  • Create youth commissions within local government. Youth commission members can play a variety of roles including shaping policy, holding conferences, sitting on other commissions, or partnering with policymakers as advisors on youth issues.
  • Engage youth in asset mapping projects in their communities to identify community resources and needs from a youth perspective. Involve youth in the publication and dissemination of the results within the community.
  • Require and fund grantees to involve youth in program planning for state and foundation initiatives.
  
  Click here to view references  
 
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