What is Youth Voice? Why is it important?

Youth voice is the idea where young people have a voice in society to create potential change and be part of decision-making processes. At MAP, we’re dedicated to “improving the lives of all children and youth by supporting and enhancing high-quality and enriching afterschool and summer learning.” One of the ways we achieve this is through partnerships, but while MAP collaborates closely with teachers, educational professionals, and nonprofit partners, children and youth are ultimately the centerpiece of the out-of-school time field. A cornerstone of our mission is creating and supporting partnerships for student success and well-being, and we look to continue to advance this mission by incorporating youth voice and choice to inform the direction of MAP’s work and beyond.

Youth Voice can be understood as a spectrum of engagement. Based on the Texas Network of Youth Success’s Definition of Youth Engagement, adapted from the works of Dr. Robert Hart and Jack Nowicki (LICSW), youth voice can be broken down into a ladder:

  1. Organizing and Governing;

  2. Youth-initiated Leadership;

  3. Youth-initiated Partnership;

  4. Adult-initiated, shared Decision-making;

  5. Informed Dialogue;

  6. Assigned but Informed;

  7. Tokenism;

  8. Decoration

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in Afterschool Youth Roundtables Initiative

In the spring, MAP created a STEM in Afterschool Youth Roundtables Initiative that invited youth participants who were engaging in after school STEM activities and/or had an interest in STEM careers to share their experiences and knowledge on afterschool STEM programming.

Elevating Youth Voice in Afterschool

Examples

The Vermont Afterschool Network supports youth councils in 8-10 communities across the state. Funding from the Northfields Savings Bank Foundation and the Vermont Department of Health provides stipends to the youth councils to support their youth-driven projects.

The Afterschool Alliance has recruits Youth Ambassadors and empowers them to share their personal stories on why afterschool is important on a national level.