Questions to Guide Youth Engagement in Local Public Health Efforts

Dimension 1: Authentic Decision Making—Youth are involved in meaningful decision making.

There are varying levels of involvement when engaging youth in the public health programs that impact them—informing and consulting them, involving them collaboratively in decisions, and allowing them to lead. To achieve a powerful level of involvement—meaningful decision making—youth must be allowed to shape decisions in a way that considers their unique perspectives. How this is accomplished at local public health organizations depends on many things, such as available resources, knowledge, program goals, and organizational readiness.

1. How does your organization value or view young people?
2. In what ways has youth voice been sought, integrated, or amplified in your organization?
3. To better engage youth, which parts of your programming can change and which absolutely cannot change?

Dimension 2: Natural Mentors—Adults intentionally support relationships with youth to help them develop.

The process of engaging youth in public health initiatives requires that adults provide relational and emotional support and help youth set and meet shared program goals. Adults should foster intentional mentorship and support and prioritize their knowledge of youth development and trauma-informed practices.

1. What kinds of safety considerations and plans—specifically those related to privacy protection and incorporating trauma-informed strategies—might you need to partner with youth?
2. How will you ensure that young people involved in this effort will be safe and well-served by this process?
3. How might you prepare and train adults for this work?

4. What staff do you have available to lead and oversee youth engagement who young people are likely to view as relatable and trustworthy?

Dimension 3: Reciprocity—Youth and adults work together as partners.

The principles of positive youth development acknowledge that young people have lots to contribute to society and deserve opportunities to succeed. Young people are experts in their lived experience, and organizations can learn much from these experiences by considering them equal partners in making decisions.

1. What are the priorities of youth in your community and how do they align with your organization’s goals?
2. Are you able to compensate young people for their time and effort?

3. What opportunities exist to highlight and recognize the contributions of youth and promote your agency’s collaboration with young people?

Dimension 4: Community Connectedness—Youth are engaged in their communities.

Public health programs do not exist in a vacuum and neither do young people. To involve youth in designing programs, interact with and consider the entirety of their support systems, which extend to their communities. This engagement can build on supportive existing networks and can benefit the whole community.

1. In what ways might you build relationships with adults and organizations in young people’s lives?
2. Within your community, are there organizations that are doing youth engagement well? What can you learn from them and how could you partner with them?
3. How can you weave in supportive community resources to maintain relationships with young people throughout your work and transition them at the end of the project?