Supporting Youth to Lead Change

As caring adults, we have the ability to empower young people to make meaningful change in their schools, communities, and the world.  We do this by listening to what young people want and need, by acknowledging our personal biases and not letting them influence our interactions with young people, and by providing young people with a platform to speak or share their talents.

Some questions to ask yourself when supporting youth to lead change are:

• Did young people tell us they wanted or needed this?
• Were young people included in building this?
• What part of the process highlights young people’s talents and capabilities?
• Are we taking up too much space with our words or ideas?

This type of intentionality takes honesty, accountability and bravery. For additional strategies and tips for supporting young people to be change agents, check out Chapter 9 of Becoming a Better Mentor Guide: Strategies to Be There for Young People.