Youth learn the power of policy
by Bina Lefkovitz
Director, Youth Development Network
On Dec. 2 and 3, the Capital Region Ready by 21 Coalition held a policy training for youth leaders and their adult allies to mobilize teams to bring more youth voice in policy arenas that impact the lives of youth. Forty youth and adult leaders representing 10 organizations from Sacramento, El Dorado and Yolo counties came together to learn about the factors that most influence how youth develop, and what communities can do to support every young person to be ready for college, work and life.
The teams learned about different ways to impact and influence policies, and developed policy recommendations around four topic areas: Nutrition and Obesity, Youth Violence, Youth Development, and Social and Emotional Health, especially related to the Mental Health Services Act. The teams had a chance to interview community experts who work in each field to test their ideas and to refine their platforms on each issue. The teams then presented their platforms in the hearing chambers of the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency Commission to get a feel for what a presentation in front of an elected body might be like.
Key recommendations from the youth teams included:
- more jobs/internships for youth
- schools incorporating volunteer, work and college experiences during the school day
- more clubs after school, especially to promote arts and creative voice of youth
- life skills and job training classes offered both in school and after school
- more leadership training for youth
- ensure youth are graduating school
- start intervening in middle school more
- more mentoring programs
- increase funding for prevention programs
- provide health information about foods at checkout stands
- more healthy food choices at schools
- school gardens
- more noncompetitive sports/physical activity programs
- have youth serve on mental health steering committees
- create places for youth in crisis to go for information on mental health issues and supports
- increase peer counseling programs and have more counselors accessible to youth
- more training on how to work with youth
- efforts to reduce the stigma of mental health issues
The recommendations of the youth teams will be incorporated into the Children’s Compact being developed by the Capital Region Ready by 21 Coalition. The compact will ask leaders in the region to agree on common outcomes for youth to ensure they will be ready for college, work and life, and it will promote key strategies that all stakeholders will be asked to commit to support. The youth who participated at the training will present their platforms and ideas at the Compact Convening to be held April 7.
“It is essential when policy decisions are made by officials that the voice of the youth is involved,” said Nick Rojas, Ready by 21 youth organizer. “To try and legislate without knowing the opinions and needs of the youth is like a doctor trying to diagnose a patient when he hasn't asked him anything. Effective policies and laws must be the work of youth and adults collaborating together.”
Ready by 21 will reconvene youth who are interested in getting involved in policy advocacy, and will support youth who want to make their communities better through policy by offering networking, problem solving and continued training. For more information about Ready by 21, the Children’s Compact or the youth policy effort, contact Bina Lefkovitz at (916) 213-9679 or bina@ydnetwork.org, Youth Organizer Nick Rojas at (916) 813-5172 or Youth Organizer Lily Rankins at (916) 207-5998.
Ready by 21 is part of a national effort sponsored by the Forum for Youth Investment to mobilize communities to ensure all youth are ready by 21 for college, work and life. Capital Region Ready by 21 is an emerging coalition bringing together stakeholders to increase public will and awareness, and to change policies to expand and improve the quality of supports and opportunities for all of our youth so they can become successful adults.