Back to: Authentic Youth Voice
The Freechild Project defines youth voice as the “active, distinct, and concentrated ways young people represent themselves throughout society.”1 This means that empowering and utilizing youth voice allows for an authentic, accurate representation of young people. By acknowledging, harnessing and supporting youth voice, programs can become more focused, informed and effective, creating the opportunity for youth to reach their full potential.
Using their lived experiences, youth are able to provide information and ideas that might not otherwise be accessible.
Youth are experts on the types of services and supports that matter most to them. Using their lived experiences, youth are able to provide information and ideas that might not otherwise be accessible. Including youth across various levels of decision making creates an opportunity for a strong collective effort that works towards common outcomes using the best information available.
- FreeChild Project. (2017). FreeChild Project tools.