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Youth Participation Tools and Resources
The State of City Leadership for Children and Families: Innovations and Trends in Youth Civic Engagement
The State of City Leadership for Children and Families is a groundbreaking new report from NLC's Institute for Youth, Education, and Families that identifies the nation's most cutting-edge city strategies to help children and families thrive.
This chapter highlights the broad range of innovations and trends in municipal leadership around promoting youth civic engagement.
Download the Youth Civic Engagement chapter »
 Action Kit for Municipal Leaders on Promoting Youth Participation
This action kit for municipal leaders focuses on youth participation in municipal government and youth involvement in local communities by highlighting strategies to establish a youth council, plan community youth mapping projects to identify local programs and services that are available, host a youth summit, and promote youth service.
The action kit also offers tips for adults who are just getting started in efforts to promote youth voice and leadership, as well as a broad range of city examples and resources for further information.
Download the Action Kit »
 Building Effective Youth Councils (2007)
Produced by the Forum for Youth Investment in collaboration with the YEF Institute and the National Conference of State Legislatures, this report highlights six key tasks for creating effective youth councils, examples of strong municipal youth councils, and sample city ordinances, applications, bylaws, release forms, research, and other resources.
Basic information for youth councils in Boston, Des Moines, Grand Rapids, Hampton, Nashville, and San Francisco is provided, including: which elected officials the councils advise, membership and structure, funding sources, and contact information.
Download the Report »
 Promoting Youth Engagement Through Youth Councils: Tips for Getting Started (2007)
This article, which first appeared in the Florida League of Cities' Quality Cities magazine, includes a concise overview of steps cities and towns can take to form a youth council, and offers examples of several unique youth councils from large and small cities.
Recommended steps include: assessing young people's interest; defining the council's structure and responsibilities; encouraging a diverse group of young people to apply; working with youth to set the agenda; providing training for youth and adults; raising awareness of the council; and institutionalizing youth involvement.
Download the Article »
 Shaping the Future: Working Together, Changing Communities
A Manual on How to Start or Improve Your Own Youth Commission (2007)
Shaping the Future is a manual on how to start or improve your own youth commission, published by the award-winning Hampton, Va., Youth Commission. The introduction and four chapters outline the basic steps necessary for a successful commission and guidance to help you create a commission that works for your community's specific issues. Single copies of the manual can be downloaded at no cost, courtesy of a grant from the Innovations in American Government Award.
Download this Manual »
Twenty-Five Ways City Officials Can Help Youngsters Learn About Local Government (2007)
This article, published in Texas Town and City magazine by the Texas Municipal League, offers a range of ideas for how municipal leaders can engage youth.
Download the Article »
Organizational Tools and Helps for Starting a Youth Council (2006)
The Caldwell, Idaho, Mayor's Youth Advisory Council (MYAC), formed under the leadership of Mayor Garret Nancolas, created this guide for municipal leaders on how to form a youth council.
The guide highlights the impact that a youth advisory council can have on a community, as well as steps for organizing a youth council, and a broad range of sample materials, including sample letters to schools, by-laws, applications, agendas, minutes, and proclamations. The guide concludes by describing the structure and activities of the Caldwell MYAC.
Download this How-To Guide »
 Strengthening Families in America's Cities: Youth Conditions and Participation (2003)
Research findings published in this report are from NLC's Strengthening Families in America's Cities Survey of municipal officials, which examined issues affecting children and families in American cities and towns.
Among the findings are that city leaders see youth as one of the most underserved groups in America; job training and employment opportunities are seen as an especially critical need; youth voices are valued by local elected officials; and cities are providing youth with multiple opportunities to become involved in civic life.
Download the Report »
Youth Participation Strategy Spotlights (2003)
These strategy spotlights highlight a range of opportunities for city officials to get involved in promoting youth participation in municipal government and the community, as well as examples of cities that encourage youth leadership.
Youth Summits »
Youth Service »
Youth-Adult Partnerships »
Diversity »
Special Report on Youth Service (2002)
This Nation's Cities Weekly special report highlights city efforts to promote youth service and offers project ideas based on National Youth Service Day.
Download the Report »
 Nation's Cities Weekly Articles
NLC's Nation's Cities Weekly newspaper regularly features articles on how city leaders are working to promote youth participation.
View the Nation's Cities Weekly Archives for Articles About Youth Participation »
Audioconference Transcripts
The YEF Institute's monthly audioconference series features talk-show style discussions between Institute staff, national experts, and city leaders to highlight best practices in a broad range of program areas. The Institute makes transcripts of these calls available for local officials who are unable to dial into the calls.
- What Makes Youth Civic Engagement Authentic? Listening to the Perspectives of Youth and Municipal Leaders (September 24, 2009) »
- A Seat at the Table: Engaging Youth as City Leaders (December 14, 2006) »
- Identifying Youth Needs and Resources by Mapping Your Community (December 15, 2006) »
- What to Do When Youth Say, "There's Nothing to Do." (April 21, 2005) »
- Youth Summits and Forums Strengthen Youth Voice (October 28, 2004) »
- How to Develop and Carry Out Planning and Community Assessments Regarding Children and Youth Initiatives in Local Communities (February 19, 2004) »
- Youth Service - Teens Making a Difference in their Communities (February 27, 2003) »
- Youth Leadership: Transforming Youth Voice Into Action (December 18, 2002) »
- Getting Youth Into the Act: Strategies to Promote Youth Community Participation (March 21, 2002) »
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