FACT SHEET

in action

John J. Wilson

Acting Administrator

October 2000 NUMBER 05

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Youth Advisory

Councils

Youth Advisory Councils

(YAC’s) comprise young people

who regularly advise policymakers (for example, Members

of Congress, mayors, city

council members) on youth

issues. YAC’s offer youth civic

roles, a voice in the legislative

process, and opportunities to

learn about the legislative

process firsthand. YAC’s give

policymakers the opportunity to

learn about youth by working

with them. YAC members,

policymakers, and their staffs

discuss youth issues and

pending legislation at regular

meetings or through letters,

conference calls, e-mail

messages, online chats, or

videoconferences. YAC members support youth initiatives,

work on community service

projects, help policymakers

organize civic events, and offer

advice on legislative and policy

issues.

You can start a YAC by contacting a local policymaker and

forming a committee of youth

from diverse backgrounds, a

few adults who work well with

youth, and some of the policymaker’s staff; additional supporters who are ages 18 to 24

can serve as advisors. Determine the structure of the YAC;

then create a mission statement, goals, and strategic plan.

Form committees based on the

goals of the YAC and convene

committee meetings. Develop a

community outreach plan for

the policymaker and YAC

members to promote the YAC

in the community and to

generate interest and stimulate

the exchange of information

and ideas. Federal, State, or

local policymakers can benefit

from YAC’s.

Youth Town Hall

Meetings

Youth Town Hall Meetings

(YTHM’s) are 1- to 2-hour

discussions between panels of

youth and adults and diverse

audiences about “hot” topics

such as gun violence, curfews,

by Phillip Lovell and

Ashley Price

Involving youth in their communities is important for

healthy social development,

enriched family life, and

neighborhood vitality. Youth

can contribute to the civic life

of their communities by

working in political campaigns,

participating in local government meetings, supporting

causes, fundraising for charities, serving on boards, and

advising decisionmakers on

issues of concern to young

people. Civic involvement often

gives youth new friends and

interests, a heightened sense of

responsibility to peers and the

community, improved leadership skills, increased selfesteem, and a strengthened

sense of accomplishment.

Communities benefit from the

creative new ideas, energy, and

enthusiasm of youth. Two

activities that enhance civic

involvement are Youth Advisory Councils and Youth Town

Hall Meetings.

Involving Youth in Civic Life Involving Youth in Civic Life
PRESORTED STANDARD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/OJJDP

PERMIT NO. G–91

YFS–00005 Youth in Action Fact Sheet

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

and substance abuse. YTHM’s provide

youth and adults ways to communicate,

work, and act together on issues they

care about or that have affected them.

To plan a YTHM, bring together a

committee of youth and adults who

represent local businesses, nonprofit

organizations, government, and media.

Select a suitable meeting place such as

a school gymnasium, local auditorium,

or State House. Choose youth and adults

(for example, local public officials,

teachers, business and nonprofit

representatives) who have experience on

the topic selected for discussion. Invite

community members (including public

officials) who will present different

perspectives. Create publicity fliers.

Develop press releases for the media

and information packets for the audience. Compile resource lists for

followup action.

A youth or adult experienced in facilitating discussions serves as a YTHM

moderator and can either ask the

panelists questions to which they

respond or let each panelist speak

briefly on the chosen topic. The moderator then facilitates an audience questionand-answer period. Community members can meet after the YTHM to agree

on further action. For example, a

coalition of youth and adults planned a

YTHM with members of the Indiana

State Legislature to discuss youth

positions on school boards. On Capitol

Hill, participants in a YTHM asked

Members of Congress to consider

opinions from youth when making

decisions about juvenile violence

issues. By encouraging collaboration

with policymakers, YTHM’s offer youth

an active role in civic life while helping

policymakers to make better informed

decisions.

Resources

To learn more about how youth can get

involved in their communities, visit

OJJDP’s Internet Kid’s Page at

www.usdoj.gov/Kidspage/getinvolved.

The following are some helpful resources

for organizing Youth Advisory Councils

and Youth Town Hall Meetings.

Phillip Lovell

Center for Youth as Resources

1000 Connecticut Avenue NW.

Washington, DC 20036

202–261–4181

www.yar.org (Internet)

Amy Weisenbach

National 4–H Council

7100 Connecticut Avenue

Chevy Chase, MD 20815–4999

301–961–2972

www.fourhcouncil.edu/cyd (Internet)

Muata Kiongozi

National Crime Prevention Council

1000 Connecticut Avenue NW.

Washington, DC 20036

202–466–6272

www.weprevent.org (Internet)

Patrice Bey

National Youth Network

1000 Connecticut Avenue NW.

Washington, DC 20036

202–261–4141

www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/nyn/index/html

(Internet)

Phillip Lovell, a senior at Georgetown

University’s School of Foreign Service,

is the part-time Policy Coordinator at

the Center for Youth as Resources.

Ashley Price, a freshman at

Middlebury College, interns at the

National 4–H Council and is the parttime Policy Coordinator for the

Kidsforkids initiative of Save the

Children.