Learn and Serve America's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse

Youth Speakers Bureaus (YSBs) promote youth voice and provide youth with an opportunity to speak publicly about the positive effects service-learning can have on youth, institutions, and communities. Youth Advisory Councils (YACs) are a group of young people, most often ranging in age from 12-25, working in conjunction with an existing organization to assure that youth are involved in achieving the overall mission of the organization. Following are some of our most relevant resources for this topic.

NSLC-Produced Resources

• Youth Voice in Service-Learning
• Youth Voice: Selected Resources
• YouthSITE: Sharing Ideas and Tools for Engagement

Sample Youth Speakers Bureaus/Youth Advisory Councils

• Michigan Service-Learning Youth Council
• Youth Service California Project Catalyst
• Minnesota Alliance with Youth: Youth Advisory Council
• Youth Venture's National Youth Advisory Council

Sample Youth Speakers Bureau Material

• Ambassador Application (Youth Service California's Project Catalyst)
• Civil Rights Trip Slide Show Flyer (Southside Family Charter School)
• Consent and Liability Waiver (Michigan Service-Learning Youth Council)
• Frequently Asked Questions Document (Youth Service California's Project Catalyst)
• Member Selection Form (Michigan Service-Learning Youth Council)
• Orientation - Confidential Medical History (Michigan Service-Learning Youth Council)
• Outreach Presentation Report (Michigan Service-Learning Youth Council)
• Promotional Brochure (Michigan Service-Learning Youth Council)
• Promotional Brochure (Youth Service California's Project Catalyst)
• Service Project Report (Michigan Service-Learning Youth Council)
• Youth Council Summary (Michigan Service-Learning Youth Council)

NSLC Library Items (How to Borrow)

• Building Effective Youth Councils: A Practical Guide to Engaging Youth in Policy Making (2007) (PDF)
• State Children’s Cabinets and Councils: Getting Results for Children and Youth (2007) (PDF)
• Washington Youth Voice Handbook: The What, Who, Why, Where, When, and How Youth Voice Happens (2007) (PDF)
• Kids As Planners: A Guide To Strengthening Students, Schools, And Communities Through Service-Learning, 2nd Ed. (2005)
• Our Time is Now: Young People Changing the World (2005)
• Youth Voice: A Guide for Engaging Youth in Leadership and Decision-Making in Service-Learning Programs (2001) (PDF)
• 14 Points: Successfully Involving Youth in Decision Making (1999)
• Youth Issues, Youth Voices: A Guide for Engaging Youth and Adults in Public Dialogue and Problem Solving (1996)

Links

• Community Matters: The mission of Community Matters is to promote positive youth development. They equip individuals and organizations with the knowledge and tools to build communities where all children and youth can feel safe, connected, and empowered. This includes resources on youth speakers' bureaus and training and technical assistance to help communities create their own YSBs.
• Kids as Self Advocates
• "Just What is a YAC (Youth Advisory Committee)" Lesson Plan
• YAC Getting Started Toolkit
• Healthy and Ready to Work: YAC Resources

Related Topics

• Youth Voice