Engaging Youth in Policy and Advocacy: A Guide for Intermediary Organizations
By Hikma Sherka, Program Director of Youth Engagement, Every Hour Counts
At Every Hour Counts, we believe that engaging young people in policy and advocacy is not just an option — it’s essential. Youth bring fresh perspectives, lived experiences, and a passion for creating change that can drive innovative solutions to challenges impacting them and their communities. As intermediary organizations, we have the unique opportunity to support and amplify their voices by ensuring they are equipped to influence the systems and policies that directly impact their lives.
Why Youth Engagement Matters in Policy and Advocacy
When young people are involved in policy and advocacy efforts, they become active participants in their communities. Young people’s insights often highlight the gaps and opportunities that we as adults tend to overlook. By centering youth in decision-making, we create more equitable and sustainable solutions that positively impact all of us.
Engaging youth in this work also builds their leadership skills and helps them understand the intricacies of how policies are made, implemented, and challenged. Beyond teaching them to advocate, youth co-create solutions and become powerful change agents in their communities.
Strategies for Engaging Youth in Policy and Advocacy
- Use Storytelling as a Tool
One of the most powerful ways youth can engage in policy and advocacy is by sharing their stories. Their personal narratives often resonate more deeply with policymakers and stakeholders than data alone. Storytelling can be empowering but it should never be forced. Young people should know they can advocate for change without revealing every detail of their personal lives. We want them to control their own narrative and choose how much to share and when. - Create Authentic and Continuous Leadership Opportunities
Youth engagement in policy and advocacy shouldn’t be limited to one-time events like bill testimonies or Advocacy Days your intermediary may host. They need ongoing roles as partners and decision-makers. This can be done by involving them in more sustained ways like youth councils, participatory grant-making processes, or advisory boards where they take on leadership roles in shaping policy recommendations. - Simplify the Process While Providing Support
It’s important for youth to understand government systems and the legislative process. While offering training on these complex topics is crucial, we must simplify the process to ensure full participation. Avoid using jargon or acronyms they don’t relate to. Ask questions they can answer and be prepared to translate their experiences into policy solutions. For example, youth may not say we need transportation funding, but they’ll share that they can’t attend their afterschool program because they have no way of getting there. Our role is to connect the dots and make it as easy as possible for youth to engage. - Foster Intergenerational Collaboration
When youth and adults collaborate as equals, it leads to stronger and more inclusive solutions. Facilitating spaces that center intergenerational partnerships ensures that the wisdom and experience of adults complement the innovation and energy of youth. When young people feel that their ideas, stories, and time are truly valued, they are more eager to engage and participate further. Additionally, adult allies should receive training on how to work alongside youth to share space and power effectively. - Set Realistic Expectations and Celebrate Wins
Be transparent with youth about the realities of policy work. Changes don’t happen overnight and it could be discouraging so it’s important to set realistic expectations about the process and the potential outcomes of their advocacy efforts. Create a culture of celebrating wins big and small. Recognize milestones whether it’s a successful meeting with a policy maker, a positive community response, or progress on a bill. Small acknowledgements during meetings or on social media can foster a sense of accomplishment and remind youth that every step forward contributes to the larger goal of building systems and communities where they have every opportunity to thrive.
Examples from Our Network
The Every Hour Counts network offers powerful examples of what youth engagement in policy and advocacy can look like at an intermediary level. Explore these as sources of ideas for incorporating youth voice in your work.
After School Matters (Chicago): After School Matters (ASM) is connecting young people directly with key policymakers. In December 2022, the U.S. Surgeon General visited ASM to hear from Chicago teens about local youth mental health and learn about ASM’s support for mental health through its programming and partnership with Adler University. Earlier in 2024, ASM youth leader Erica attended the White House Youth Policy Summit with Every Hour Counts, where she was supported by the ASM team to share her insights, including with Secretary Cardona.
Providence After School Alliance (Rhode Island): The Providence After School Alliance (PASA) is establishing a Youth Leadership Council with 10 high school students who will be compensated for their role. This council will make recommendations to improve PASA’s high school initiatives by analyzing program structures, reviewing data from the Powered by Youth Voice survey, research from Young Voices, and visiting high school programs across Providence. Their final recommendations will be presented to PASA’s leadership team to inform decision-making on new programs, partnerships, and policies.
The council will be facilitated by a college student and former youth leader with PASA who participated in its programs throughout middle and high school.
Youthprise (Minnesota): Youthprise hosts Disrupting with Purpose, a virtual series highlighting issues impacting young people in Minnesota. Each 90-minute installment creates space for youth and adults to discuss topics like policy, education, health, and economic opportunity.
In their recent session focused on the 2024 U.S. elections, the series explored how young people’s voices can shape issues that matter most to them. They partnered with Believe In What’s Possible, an organization working to increase youth civic awareness and engagement in political processes, including helping young people register to vote.
Disrupting with Purpose encourages youth to find ways to be civically engaged, whether or not they’re eligible to vote, and amplifies their voices on critical issues.
A Unique Moment for Youth Voice in Policy & Advocacy in 2024
This year offers a particularly unique opportunity for young people to step into advocacy and policy leadership. With many newly elected officials and new administrations coming into office at local, state, and federal levels, intermediary organizations can help youth build relationships with these leaders from the beginning.
One powerful way to seize this moment is by organizing a youth-led memo to new electeds or new administration. This memo could outline the key issues that matter most to young people and offer specific recommendations for action. By doing so, youth can establish themselves as important stakeholders in shaping the policies that affect their communities.
Relationship-building with newly elected officials can begin with youth-led meetings, roundtable discussions, or site visits that allow youth to share their perspectives on programs and policies. These engagement efforts also provide elected officials a direct line to the voices of young people and open doors to fostering more youth-centered policies moving forward.
Youth engagement in policy and advocacy is a powerful tool for change. As intermediary organizations, we have the opportunity and responsibility to engage young people in these efforts to ensure the programs and systems intended to serve youth are co-designed by youth.
