There is a growing amount of confusion about what youth engagement is and is not.

• Youth engagement is not what you think it is.
• Youth engagement is not just focused on one issue or activity.
• Youth engagement is not the same as youth involvement, youth voice, or leadership.
• Youth engagement does not require youth voice—youth engagement is youth voice.
• Youth engagement does not need adult approval, guidance, or empowerment. Youth engagement can and does simply happen.
• If you want to engage young people on purpose, you might be able to do that—but you’d better make it worth replacing something else they’re engaged in right now.
• Youth engagement is not automatically youth empowerment.

If you’ve read the entire list and you still want to learn what youth engagement actually is, read on…

You Might Like…

• Youth Involvement Toolkit
• Adultism Toolkit
• Youth Voice Tools

Elsewhere Online

• The Practice of Youth Engagement by Adam Fletcher
• An Introduction to Youth Engagement in the Economy by Adam Fletcher
• A Unique Guide to Youth Engagement by Adam Fletcher 
• The Freechild Project Youth Engagement Workshop Guide by Adam Fletcher

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Other tools are out there, too – share your thoughts in the comments below! For more information about how The Freechild Project can support youth engagement in your community or organization, contact us.