For me, listening is about more than gathering input—it’s an act of humility and a way to give agency. When we start with openness, we move from creating solutions for young people to co-creating with them. It’s in this collaboration that real impact happens. This post is a simple but powerful example of how centering youth perspectives can lead to thoughtful and meaningful results—an important reminder of why humility and agency matter so much in this work. #YouthVoice #ListeningWithPurpose #InTandemOrg
At In Tandem, we believe in practicing what we preach by giving our Youth Partners a seat at the table for important decisions. One recent example? We directly engaged our Youth Partners in deciding whether to say yes to a high-profile opportunity with a very quick turnaround. The ask was slightly outside of what we normally make available to Youth Partners. We feared being biased by the high-profile nature of the request. So we leaned on a principle embedded in our core values: “When in doubt, ask.” So we asked our Youth Partners to weigh in. Did they think it would be a good experience for Youth Partners? Did they think participating would benefit young people in general? They answered yes to both and we moved forward in a way that felt authentic and aligned with our mission of youth empowerment. 💡 And, naturally, they knocked it out of the park when they participated. #InTandem #YouthPartners #YouthVoice
Co-Founder of OurFamilyCulture.org. Helping parents raise emotionally healthy, connected kids in close-knit families.
1moIsn’t it wild that’s simply including kids in making decisions about their own learning seems like such a radical act!