This toolkit offers examples of what works from youth development folks around Georgia. At the same time, we assert that “youth voice” is a mindset and a major commitment — not just a checklist of activities or a quick add-on.

Meaningful youth voice requires a fundamental shift in thinking about whose narrative and whose voices shape after-school programming – and about how we intentionally create spaces for us to benefit from those voices.

This toolkit just gets us started. We know it’s hard to unlearn adult power structures and undo the impacts of adultism. But we hope hearing from youth about the power of youth voice and from adults who have benefitted from listening gets you excited about the possibilities! And we encourage you to reach out to us to pursue additional training or coaching to meaningfully incorporate more youth voice in your work.

As Brooklyn says in one of the “tools” below: “Listen, listen, listen. And pay attention.” So, thanks for paying attention along with us! We want to hear from you, too! What’s working? Where do you struggle? What tips and tools do you have to add to this toolbox?

– The adult staff teams at VOX ATL, GUIDE, Inc, & GCAPP