Forming an Advisory Group

• One way of gathering youth perspectives is to form a youth advisory group.
• Look for a diversity of participants from wide variety of diverse backgrounds. For example, put a call out to local youth-serving organizations, schools, etc.
• Spend time letting the youth get to know each other and building a safe space to create a dialogue.
• Depending on the level of participation, have youth and/or their parents/guardians sign a consent form to participate in the project.
• Keep parents/guardians of the youth involved and up-to-date on progress.
• Find different ways for youth to share their perspectives as not all youth are ‘talkers’. Engage youth through arts, music and taking photos.
• An advisory group provides a good opportunity for youth to socialize with peers in a positive environment and to work as a team.

Recognition and Compensation

• Youth advisory group members can be volunteers, but try to compensate through small honorariums and by offering food and covering transportation costs where possible. This will support youth that might not traditionally be able to get involved.
• Recognition does not have to be monetary. For example, meaningful recognition of the youth’s participation can include letters for community service hours or a letter that can be included in a work portfolio that describes in detail their role in the initiative.