Including Youth on Your Board, Commission, or Committee

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Including Youth on Your Board, Commission, or
Committee
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What do we mean by including youth on your board
or committee?
Including youth on boards, commissions, or
committees means recruiting young people to serve
as members or representatives on those bodies. A
Board of Directors is the formal governing body
of almost all incorporated (and some
unincorporated) non-profit organizations,
initiatives, or institutions, and many public
bodies as well. A committee is a part of a
larger organization or initiative, is formed to
deal with a specific issue or area of
functioning, or a freestanding body usually meant
to address or oppose a particular issue. A
commission is a government body that has charge
of a particular area of functioning, or a group
appointed by government to study or oversee an
event or issue. Youth may be included on boards,
commissions, or committees with full membership,
with limited membership, in an advisory capacity,
or as members of board committees, but not of the
full board.
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Why include youth on boards, committees, and
other similar bodies?

• Your board can gain insight into the youth
  perspective on issues and on its actions.
• Youth can bring new and creative ideas.
• Youth can inject new life into your board.
• Board membership can make youth more conscious
  of and knowledgeable about community issues and
  the larger factors that affect their and
  others lives.
• Youth board membership makes your group more
  inclusive and participatory.
• Having teen board members is more likely to
  convince community youth to participate in your
  organization or support your positions.

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Why include youth on boards, committees, and
other similar bodies? (cont.)

• By including youth on your board, youre making
  a statement to the community about their
  importance and about their ability to contribute.
  
• As a result of their interactions with youth
  board members, adults on the board may develop
  more positive attitudes toward young people.
• You can increase the credibility of your group,
  both among youth and in the community in general,
  by acting on your principles.
• If youre a grassroots organization or
  initiative, having a diverse board that includes
  youth membership is likely to be consistent with
  your philosophy.
• Youre encouraging youth leadership and
  developing the next generation of community
  leaders.

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Challenges to including youth on boards

• Youth may need help with meeting skills.
• Most youth simply dont have the background of
  knowledge and experience that most adult board
  members do.
• Young people may be hesitant about speaking
  out, and may need lots of encouragement before
  theyre comfortable enough to feel that their
  opinions are valued.
• Adolescents even those that are generally
  quite mature can be impulsive.
• Incorporating youth members takes time.
• Adult board members may have to change their
  assumptions about what youth are capable of.
• While youths may be better advocates for the
  organization or initiative with other youth, they
  may have less credibility in the community with
  adults, especially those who are more
  conservative.

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When is a good time to add youth members or
representatives?

• When youre starting a new organization or
  initiative, especially but not limited to one
  that addresses youth and youth issues.
• When youth are not responding well to a program
  or initiative aimed at them.
• When youth board members are a condition of
  funding.
• When you need the youth perspective.
• When you want to demonstrate to youth, to the
  community, and/or to your board that you
  believe in the abilities of youth to take
  responsibility if theyre given the opportunity.
• When you want to empower a youth constituency.
• When you want to prepare youth to take
  community leadership positions.
• When members of the board request it.

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Who should be involved in including youth on
boards and committees?

• Educational efforts
• Local and state school boards
• Colleges and universities
• Private, alternative, and charter schools
• Adult literacy programs (many serve
  out-of-school youth)

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Who should be involved in including youth on
boards and committees?

• Youth-oriented or youth-focused efforts
• Peer counseling and peer tutoring programs
• Recreational programs (teen centers, skate
  parks, sports leagues and programs)
• Prevention programs targeting risk behaviors
  (ie. delinquency, violence, tobacco and substance
  use, suicide, teen pregnancy and STI prevention
  efforts)
• Service providers to homeless and other at-risk
  youth
• Service learning and youth community service
  programs

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Who should be involved in including youth on
boards and committees?

• Community or larger-focused efforts that include
  youth as one of several targets or constituencies
• Community building efforts or organizations
• Health promotion or healthy community
  initiatives
• Health providers hospitals, clinics, mental
  health centers
• Anti-poverty, anti-crime, or similar broad
  efforts
• Human service organizations
• State and local government agencies concerned
  with youth. Legal restrictions may limit youth
  to a representative or advisory role on these
  boards.
• Employment boards

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Young people who might be recruited as board
members

• Those who are already active in sports,
  scouting, church groups, etc.
• Youth who want to be involved, and/or who
  volunteer.
• Youth with real leadership potential, including
  some who might be seen as troublemakers.
• Youth with first-hand knowledge of the issues
  and population youre concerned with, such as
• Current or former gang members
• Runaways or emancipated minors (the legal
  term for kids whove been thrown out by their
  parents) who live or have lived on the street
• Youth whove been involved with the courts
• Youth with direct or close secondhand (through
  relatives or close friends) experience of the
  issue the organization deals with or with street
  life in general

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Young people who might be recruited as board
members (cont.)

• Youth with first-hand knowledge of the issues
  and population youre concerned with, such as
• Successful graduates of substance abuse
  programs
• Youth who have, or are working to, overcome
  academic difficulties or learning disabilities
• Youth who have been abused or have struggled
  with dysfunctional family situations
• Youth currently or formerly in foster care
• Adoptees
• Youth whose families have been homeless
• Recipients of your services, participants in
  your program, or potential beneficiaries of your
  initiative

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How do you engage youth on boards and committees?

• Decide whether you want youth members or
  representatives on your board.
• Determine the niche you expect the young
  member(s) to fill.
• Assess the readiness of your board to
  incorporate youth members.
• Prepare as a board to accept youth members.
• Recruit youth board members.
• Train new youth board members.
• Support youth board members.
• Employ youth board members.
• Monitor and evaluate the experience.
• Incorporate what youve learned from evaluation,
  and continue to include youth on your board.