Activating Youth Voice: Supporting Youth Leadership

Participants explore a range of youth leadership archetypes—such as the Organizer, the Strategist, the Storyteller, and the Quiet Anchor—and reflect on how adult biases, expectations, and systems often privilege certain types of leadership over others. Through interactive group work, participants analyze real-world scenarios where well-intentioned adult actions either uplifted or undermined youth leadership, then work together to rewrite those outcomes. The session closes with a youth-led reflection circle, where participants hear directly from young leaders about what they’ve needed from adult allies in their own growth. Educators leave with a practical reference guide and reflection tool to help assess their site’s leadership culture and identify concrete ways to support a more inclusive and empowering approach to youth leadership.