Integrate Youth Voices
Before you begin context/system mapping or designing your program, first consider how young people will participate throughout the process at every stage.
We believe in the principle of “nothing about youth without youth.” When young people play meaningful roles throughout all phases of a program cycle, that program can be more impactful and sustainable. For more on why youth engagement is critical (and how to measure it), check out the YouthPower Youth Engagement Guide.
Planning to engage young people meaningfully right from the beginning of your design process will make it easier to ensure you have the time and resources needed to integrate youth voices and that it doesn’t become an afterthought.
Wondering what this might look like? Here are some resources to get you started:
- The YouthPower Youth in DRG Toolkit includes an explanation of three models for integrating youth participation in programs;
- The Youth in DRG Toolkit also provides examples of youth engagement throughout the program cycle and guidance on youth inclusion in solicitation;
- The Annie E. Casey Foundation breaks down what authentic youth engagement looks like in their Framework for Effectively Partnering with Young People;
- This video from the She’s the First team provides a practical framework for ethically integrating the voices of constituents into programming decisions through focus group discussions;
- Annex C of the Youth Compass provides useful considerations and reflection questions for youth engagement;
- Get inspired by young people sharing their perspectives on a variety of issues by exploring UNICEF’s Voices of Youth platform;
- The Youth Involvement and Engagement Assessment Tool and the Youth Programming Assessment Tool (YPAT) are helpful tools as you think about specific strategies or opportunities to engage young people in program phases.
When we talk about “youth,” we are talking about a very large (2.4 billion people!) and very diverse population with intersecting identities and different needs. As you think through strategies for integrating youth voices and different roles that young people could play beyond being a program participant or recipient of services, put diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion at the forefront. YouthREX has created some great resources to help you consider how you engage underrepresented youth and how to put intersectionality into practice.
