Welcome to the Youth Voice Resource Page!
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“If you had a problem in the Black community, and you brought in a group of White people to discuss how to solve it, almost nobody would take that panel seriously. In fact, there’d probably be a public outcry. It would be the same the for women’s issues or gay issues. But every day, in local arenas all the way to the White House, adults sit around and decide what problems youth have and what youth need, without ever consulting us.”
– a youth from New York
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If you are an adult and want to learn more about incorporating youth voice into your organizational decision-making, or if you are a youth who wants your voice heard - you are at the right place!
You're invited to become a part of Youth Service America's Youth Voice Initiative (YVI). The Youth Voice Initiative is a national campaign to increase the quantity and quality of opportunities for young people to serve as decision-makers.
The Youth Voice Initiative is about recognizing;
Recognizing that youth are assets and resources to the world
The Youth Voice Initiative is about accepting;
Accepting youth as leaders and decision-makers today
The Youth Voice Initiative is about equipping;
Equipping young people with the tools and resources to further their goals and impacts
The Youth Voice Initiative is about connecting;
Connecting youth with other youth to create a network of young decision-makers
The most integral part of the Youth Voice Initiative is the National Youth Council. The National Youth Council is a group of diverse young people ages 14-23 from across the U.S., who serve as advisors to Youth Service America in its programming, direction, and evaluation. The National Youth Council serves as a catalyst for the youth service movement by convening working groups focused on developing strategies to increase the scale of the youth service movement, by producing youth-friendly tool-kits and guides to assist youth in planning successful projects, by networking young decision makers, and by serving as a successful model for adult-youth partnerships.
To access the National Youth Council as a youth voice resource visit http://www.ysa.org/yvi or e-mail dhatcher at ysa.org