Q&A — Empowering Youth: Coalition Building, Event Planning, and Advocacy

IPS recently presented a webinar on Empowering Youth: Coalition Building, Event Planning and Advocacy. The PICture This editorial board spoke to the presenters, Jennifer Lagunas Garcia, Gabriel Hill and Venture Griswold, to share their key takeaways.

What are the key factors to ensure youth voices are truly heard and valued in decision-making spaces?

We really work hard in creating a space where they feel safe and welcome to express their opinions. It’s really important that they have access to the right information and support so they can understand the issues and make meaningful contributions.

As adult allies, we need to listen, like really listen, and offer guidance without making it feel like we’re just using them to check a box. We need to give them real opportunities to influence decisions, whether that’s through advisory boards or being part of community planning sessions, where their ideas can actually lead to real change.

At the end of the day, it’s about trust and showing them that their voice has an impact.

What strategies can help maintain long-term engagement in youth advocacy programs?

It’s all about offering consistent opportunities for growth. We offer them mentorships, leadership roles, and even just allowing them to take on more responsibility over time can make a big difference.

We like to celebrate the small wins along the way. It keeps all of us motivated and helps youth see the value of their efforts.

Building a strong sense of community is so important because when youth feel connected to their peers and the cause, they’re more likely to stick with it.

Also, we have to be adaptable. Whether it’s incorporating new trends like digital campaigns or just listening to what excites them, making sure things stay relevant is huge for us in keeping them interested and involved.

What is a youth listening session, and why is it important?

It’s a critical tool to gather feedback from youth and for youth coalition building. It’s an opportunity to bring diverse youth together to hear their honest opinions, which really help shape the direction of our coalition. This is how we create projects that are truly youth-led, by gathering their ideas and implementing them directly into our programming.

How do you plan for a youth listening session?

We really lean on our existing coalition members to help plan the event. They let us know the best time to meet for their peers, and whether it’s best to meet in-person or virtually. Youth members are also our best recruiters, especially if they can bring several of their friends with them, or promote the event at their school.

Once we gather a group at the listening session, we ask them a mix of open-ended free-response questions and multiple-choice questions about what they want to see from the coalition. Having a diverse group of students and a range of questions helps us gather the most useful feedback for the future of the coalition.

How do you effectively promote your event?

We combine both digital and in-person strategies. Social media obviously plays a huge role, so creating engaging content on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok is key, along with videos and sneak peeks to build excitement.

Partnering with local influencers or organizations that share your goals can also extend your reach. At the same time, traditional methods like flyers, email marketing, and even press releases to local media are still powerful tools. So, it’s about striking the right balance between online buzz and more traditional outreach.

How do you contact and engage with local representatives and city councils?

It’s all about being clear on what you need. Whether it’s an email or letter, we advise being very specific. Are you asking for support, a partnership, or just for them to attend your event?

If you don’t hear back, follow up with a call. Attending city council meetings is also a great way to get on their radar, especially during the public comment section. And building relationships with council members and/or their staffs goes a long way as well.

If you’d like to see the full webinar, please visit us on our YouTube channel.

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