4-H Youth in Governance Program ( http://www.ca4h.org/yig/ ): Program planning and training materials and literature related to involving youth in governance roles.
At the Table ( www.atthetable.org ): A project of the Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development, At the Table was formed to facilitate a coordinated, sustainable national youth participation movement. They work together with partners across the country to educate and inform about the value of youth participation, as well as to prepare youth and adults to work together to create positive change. Their website provides specific resources and information about how to involve young people in decision-making.
CIRCLE - The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement ( www.civicyouth.org): CIRCLE promotes research on the civic and political engagement of Americans between the ages of 15 and 25. Although CIRCLE conducts and funds research, not practice, the projects that we support have practical implications for those who work to increase young people's engagement in politics and civic life. CIRCLE is also a clearinghouse for relevant information and scholarship. Includes a database of youth civic engagement organizations.
Community Builders – Teens Turning Places Around ( http://www.pps.org/tcb/index.html ): We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people of all ages create the kinds of places that build communities. We achieve this through technical assistance, training, research and education - as well as programs in parks, plazas and central squares; transportation; public buildings; and architecture and public markets. Since our founding in 1975, we have worked in over 1,000 communities, within the U.S. and abroad, helping people to grow their public spaces into vital community places.
The Freechild Project ( www.freechild.org ): The Freechild Project is a resource, training, and consultation program working with individuals and organizations around the world. We focus on a variety of topics, including youth voice, youth-led activism, meaningful youth involvement, and youth-adult partnerships. Their website includes extensive resources related to youth involvement in local governments, nonprofit organizations’ boards of directors, and the educational system. They also provide a list of publications related to youth involvement and participation in the community.
The Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development ( www.theinnovationcenter.org ): The Innovation Center connects thinkers and leaders of all ages to develop fresh ideas, forge new partnerships, and design strategies that engage young people and their communities. They offer practical tools, training, and consulting services to help foundations, organizations, young people and adults develop leadership abilities rooted in their own values, goals, and skills.
Institute for Cultural Affairs ( www.ica-usa.org ): ICA’s Youth as Facilitative Leaders training ( http://www.ica-usa.org/programs/yfl/yfl_home.html ) provides facilitation skills that youth can use in leading community action efforts.
National Youth Court Center (www.youthcourt.net): The National Youth Court Center (NYCC) at the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) serves as a central point of contact for youth court programs across the nation. We serve as an information clearinghouse, provide training and technical assistance, and develop resource materials on how to develop and enhance youth court programs in the United States.
National Youth Leadership Council ( www.nylc.org ): For more than two decades, NYLC has led a movement linking youths, educators, and communities to redefine the roles of young people in society. That movement is service-learning, and it empowers youths to transform themselves from recipients of information and resources into valuable, contributing members of a democracy. The website contains research, toolkits for service learning, and examples of youth-as-resources programs.
Points of Light Foundation ( www.pointsoflight.org ): The PoL Foundation, in conjunction with the Volunteer Center National Network, works to engage more people and resources more effectively in volunteer service to help solve serious social problems. PoL’s Youth Leadership Institute is a state-of-the-art training program designated to teach leadership and community service skills to high school-age students. Their website has lots of “how to” resources for young people
( http://www.pointsoflight.org/resources/default.cfm?sectn=8 ).
Sound Out ( www.soundout.org ): Sound Out is focused on student leadership in the educational system, the education process and education reform. They strive for students to be actively engaged in identifying challenges, analyzing situations, creating responses, acting with authority, and examining outcomes. Sound Out provides training and resources to both school personnel and students. Their website has “how to’s” for increasing student voice, an extensive collection of research and publications related to student voice, and tools for evaluating student voice within a school.
What Kids Can Do (www.whatkidscando.org): A non-profit organization dedicated to making the voices and views of adolescents public. Great sources of current reports, research and publications.
Youth Activism Project (www.youthactivism.com): A nonprofit organization that promotes civic youth engagement, training for adults on how to collaborate with young people, and shares best practices and resources through a network of individuals concerned with youth development.
Youth on Board (www.youthonboard.org): Helps to engage young people at all levels of decision-making in activism efforts, curriculum development, policy development. Website includes an organizational checklist regarding current levels of youth involvement, and lots of downloadable publications related to youth-adult relationships (including “Tips from Young People on Good Youth/Adult Relationships”).
Youth Service America ( www.ysa.org ): YSA’s Youth Voice Initiative is a national campaign to increase the quantity and quality of opportunities for young people to serve as decision-makers in all sectors of society. They offer tools and resources to support youth decision-makers. The organization is focused on community service and service learning, but place an emphasis on having that service take place at a “youth voice” (decision-making) level.
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