Youth in Local Government Impact

Highlights from evaluations of youth serving on boards and committees in Douglas, Kenosha, Oneida, Washburn and Waupaca Counties.

Youth Development—youth build leadership skills and habits of active citizenship

Youth utilize decision making skills as they actively listen to discussions and ask questions. They think critically about the presented issues as they consider their votes.

Youth build a sense of responsibility as they want to represent their generation well. They also take seriously their responsibility to cast an informed advisory vote.

Youth form supportive relationships as they interact with influential community members who offer support and guidance.

Community Improvement—bring new voices to the decision-making process to inform elected officials and strengthen government programs

Increased representation of diverse opinions on a board or committee helps groups make better decisions. Young representatives are often unafraid to disagree with the majority.

Check on group processes results from youth asking direct questions that sometimes helped all board members build their involvement and understanding.

Improved communication results from adult board members responding with respect to youth questions and comments when other discourse is contentious.

Improved public opinion of youth results when youth are publicly recognized for their involvement in this program in both the local newspaper and area high schools .

Civic Development—encourage a new generation to participate in government and run for office in the future

Value of citizen contributions was noted by many youth who appreciated the power of citizens' voice and built their own commitment to stay involved in local affairs.

Interest in becoming involved in politics was demonstrated by a large increase in youth board members' reported likelihood to volunteer for a political party. Many also expressed interested in running for office in the future.

Improved opinion of elected officials was reported by youth as their personal observations led them to believe officials were less self-interested and more hard-working than they had expected.

Broader understanding of public isues and government was built for both the youth participants and their schoolmates as they shared their experiences and discussed issues that came before their boards and committees.

Youth Voice—to ensure that young people are represented in the democratic process

Youth often see represtation as a rights issue, that they should be involved in decisions that affect them. Adults on committees particularly valued their opinions on issues that directly affected youth in the community.