Build an Inclusive Team

The main idea behind this step is to align the mission, structure, and activities of the youth council. It is important to aim for membership that is representative of the youth in the city while creating a diverse team. There is plenty of research to suggest that diverse organizations are more innovative and effective problem-solvers than homogeneous groups. Thus, consider expanding recruitment beyond “insider” networks.

Membership

  • Age Group

    • Middle and/or high school students

    • It can be challenging to try to include both 11-year-olds and 18-year-olds in the same youth council

  • Representation

    • Number of students from each middle and/or high school?

    • Public, charter, private, and home schools?

    • Members of local youth organizations?

    • Representatives from different neighborhoods?

    • Balance between urban, suburban and rural areas?

  • Diversity

    • Keep in mind that diversity has many dimensions, including (but not limited to) race/ethnicity, gender, cultural background, and socio-economics

    • Youth in foster care, teen parents, ability/disability and immigrant youth

    • Youths with varying interests and activities

    • Allow students to apply, or let principals or guidance counselors appoint their representatives?

    • Consider minimum grade point averages and/or maximum unexcused school absences in your policy, but look beyond the “best students” and existing student leaders

  • Length of Term

    • Take into consideration that some projects may take between 1-2 years to accomplish:

      • 1st year: planning

      • 2nd year: implementation

    • Size

      • Be mindful of how many members your youth council should include to keep its size manageable

      • Align size with the goals to avoid overwhelming members

      • Find a balance between size, representation, and diversity

Recruitment

  • Allocate Sufficient Time for Designing and Implementing the Recruitment Process

    • Organize recruitment so that all key expectations are clearly stated, including the amount of time and level of involvement that students are expected to commit

      • For example, how often will the youth council meet, and how much time are projects expected to take?

  • Design an Inviting Recruitment Strategy for Potential Candidates

    • State the benefits of participating

    • Initial mission, values and goals

    • Responsibilities

    • Deadline for applications

    • Consider a promotional video

  • Design a Similar Strategy for Adults (including school and community leaders as well as parents)

    • Advertise benefits for youth:

      • Increased academic competencies and self-esteem

      • Recognition among peers

      • Improved understanding of opportunities in and outside one’s community

      • Transferable skills

      • School and community engagement

      • Leadership

      • Soft skills such as creativity, emotional intelligence, self- and community-advocacy, public service, and time management

    • Importance for schools:

      • Alignment with district and school goals

      • Graduation outcomes

      • Opportunities for community collaborations

    • Initial mission, values and goals

  • Connect with Diverse Community Leaders to Make the Recruitment Process as Inclusive as Possible:

    • School guidance counselors

    • School principals

    • Religious leaders

    • Chamber of Commerce leaders

    • Community center leaders

    • YMCA, YWCA and 4-H club leaders

    • Leaders of Boys and Girls Clubs

    • Sports team leaders

    • Recreation league volunteers

  • Connect with Parents

    • Write a letter and/or a social media post that introduces the youth council concept and describes its mission, values and goals, the application and selection process, and provides a contact information for further questions

  • Connect with Schools

    • Teachers - especially for civics, government, social studies and economics - might be important to consider when fine-tuning how to reach out to youth in effective ways

    • Ask school counselors to solicit applications

    • Request a meeting in which your contact person can discuss specifics with potential youth council candidates

    • Design posters and/or flyers for classrooms and other school spaces or offices

    • Post information on school websites

    • Discuss with schools which communication methods work best for them

    • Discuss with schools if they allow students to tie their participation in the youth council to school projects and initiatives

  • Involve Elected Officials and Staff

    • Have local government representatives attend relevant classes to talk about the youth council and local government

    • Consider morning school announcements or school assemblies to provide information on the recruitment process and the youth council in general

  • Spread the Word throughout the Whole Community

    • Create a news release or media event for local media

    • Use your local government website to inform people about the recruitment process

    • Design ways how community members and students can share information via social media platforms

      • Consider creating a hashtag for social media communications

    • Create a public event in which your contact person can share information and discuss specifics with the public and potential youth council candidates

  • Applications

    • Consider whether you want to use online and/or paper applications: the chosen method should not jeopardize the diversity of your youth council

    • Items to include in the application:

      • Personal information

      • Information about the council including membership criteria, initial mission, values and goals, expectations

      • Initial plan for meetings

      • Possible interview dates and locations

      • Instructions on how to submit the application

    • Consider using a spreadsheet to collect applicant information

    • Discuss whether you want to use teacher recommendations or recommendations from other professionals

  • Selection

    • Decide who will serve on the selection committee. Would it also include youth?

    • Will there be an interview? If so, plan in advance:

      • How much time is required for each interview

      • How they are structured

      • Who the interviewers are

      • How the interviewees are evaluated

      • How the results are communicated

    • While it is likely necessary to have adult interviewers in the first year, consider using youth interviewers in subsequent years.

    • What are the criteria if you have more applicants than can be included?

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