Youth voice is core to Earth Force’s mission. In order to lead authentic hands-on, inquiry-based learning, it’s important youth understand that they can contribute to their own education. Watch the following video to learn more about our approach to youth voice.
Use the following tools to:
- Better understand youth voice and the levels of implementation
- Why youth voice is critical to hands-on learning
- How to meet your curriculum needs while maintaining the integrity of youth voice
- How to manage 20-30 young voices at once
Youth Voice Tools
What is Youth Voice?
“…supporting young people in taking a leading role in their own education through inquiry and applied learning in partnership with adults.”
How do you implement Youth Voice?
Support youth voice by aligning to your curriculum, creating thoughtful questions, inviting all voice to the table, and listening.
Colorado Youth Engagement Continuum
Colorado’s Youth Engagement Continuum which was adapted from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Colorado’s Community Engagement Continuum
Understanding Youth Voice
Sociologist Roger Hart wrote a book called Children’s Participation: The Theory And Practice Of Involving Young Citizens In Community Development And Environmental Care in 1997. This groundbreaking work put the work of young people and adult allies around the world in the context of a global movement for participation, offering needed guidance and criticism of many efforts. The “Ladder of Youth Participation,” is one of many significant tools from the book.
Classroom Resources
Using Criteria Based Decision Making
Democratic Voting Processes
Resources on Youth Voice
- Students at the Center. This organization synthesizes and adapts for practice current research on key components of student-centered approaches to learning and deeper learning outcomes.
- Research on the importance of youth voice from the Search Institute.
- The Digital Civics Toolkit Podcast. Listen to a description of the Digital Civics Toolkit – a great resource for engaging students in a digital age.