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Intro | Basics | Recruit Youth | The Strategy | Critical Elements | Next Steps | Potential Activities | Choosing an Approach | Additional Resources

There are many activities that can be part of your organization or community’s Youth Mainstreaming strategy. They include the following activities.

• Youth Action Councils — Woven into the lifeblood of an organization or community, YACs can build commitment, action and outcomes into Youth Mainstreaming.
• Youth as Activists — Focused on specific issues and tangible outcomes, youth activists can move Youth Mainstreaming into a powerful, positive place for everyone.
• Youth as Activity Leaders — Leading learning, socializing, community building and other activities can empower youth throughout organizations and communities.
• Youth as Advisors — Providing key wisdom, knowledge and ideas, Youth Mainstreaming can empower youth as advisors through action and outcomes.
• Youth as Advocates — Standing up for what matters to their families and communities can allow youth as advocates to move Youth Mainstreaming forward.
• Youth as Artists — Using and developing their art through Youth Mainstreaming can reposition youth from being passive and active members in society.
• Youth as Board Directors — Youth Mainstreaming requires youth are fully able to transform schools, organizations and government. Being board directors can be key.
• Youth as Decision Makers — Engaged as personal, organizational and community decision-makers, young people can move the Youth Mainstreaming strategy further.
• Youth as Designers — Using science, strategy and planning, youth as designers can move Youth Mainstreaming to deeper and more powerful effects.
• Youth as Evaluators — Assessing and evaluating youth activities, community action and more can move Youth Mainstreaming toward broad social acceptance.
• Youth as Facilitators — Guiding and directing activities for youth and communities, Youth Mainstreaming actively engages youth facilitators throughout.
• Youth Forums — Positioning youth voice as more than information, youth forums make Youth Mainstreaming a meaningful opportunity to transform communities.
• Youth as Grant-Makers — Youth Mainstreaming puts youth-led philanthropy in action, providing powerful opportunities to support what matters to them.
• Youth as Lobbyists — Standing up for what matters to them among lawmakers and moving agenda through the political process is key for Youth Mainstreaming.
• Youth as Media Makers — Rather than being the target of media or passive recipients, in Youth Mainstreaming media is made by youth for communities.
• Youth as Mediators — As key partners in restorative justice, Youth Mainstreaming can engage youth as mediators in community and interpersonal conflicts.
• Youth as Mentors — Sharing their their knowledge and ideas with adult allies and vice versa, Youth Mainstreaming can rely on engaging youth as mentors.
• Youth as Organizers — Creating community organizing campaigns is part of many nonprofits, and engaging youth as organizers can embolden Youth Mainstreaming.
• Youth as Planners — Planning activities, developing programs and hiring or firing adult and youth staff can drive Youth Mainstreaming in powerful ways.
• Youth as Policy-Makers — Young people can become engaged as full and complete partners in policy-making bodies of all kinds, including schools and governments.
• Youth as Recruiters — Recruiting communities, families, peers and friends, young people can provide powerful influence and inspiration for Youth Mainstreaming.
• Youth as Researchers — Youth can study things in ways that adults cannot. Participatory research positions youth as examiners of what affects them most.
  
• Youth as Specialists — After examining and studying what matters, establishing the knowledge of youth as specialists can be central to Youth Mainstreaming.
• Youth Summits — Conducting conferences and summits to build consensus and create collective action plans can be a powerful outcome of Youth Mainstreaming.
• Youth as Teachers — Teaching adults, younger people and their peers about what issues that matter to them can be a powerful Youth Mainstreaming strategy.
• Youth as Trainers — Building the skills and knowledge of participants can be the key to successful Youth Mainstreaming, especially when youth facilitating training.
• Youth as Volunteers — As equally invested partners, engaging youth as volunteers within organizations and communities can move Youth Mainstreaming forward.
• Youth as Workers — Staffing the organizations and communities that adopt Youth Mainstreaming strategies can empower and infuse young people in deep  ways.

This list is just a description of some ways that Youth Mainstreaming happens. In order to implement a powerful, effective strategy it can be essential to identify next steps.

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Intro | Basics | Recruit Youth | The Strategy | Critical Elements | Next Steps | Potential Activities | Choosing an Approach | Additional Resources

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