Category: Basics

Imagine this scenario: You’re preparing to deliver a presentation to the senior executive team or Board of Directors. You’re likely running through a practice session, making last-minute tweaks to your slides, and bracing for tough questions.

Now, picture a different audience—25 teenagers you are meeting to invite into a policy advocacy campaign. Beyond the logistical headaches, your attention shifts to designing the opening minutes to set everyone at ease and introducing the issue in a captivating way. Then comes the carefully planned yet flexible choreography of interactive activities, culminating in actionable next steps. Ideally, you would  co-facilitate with a young person, dedicating ample preparation time to create a participatory atmosphere with the right balance of content and hands-on action.

Unlike a pitch to your colleagues, where even lukewarm reactions are manageable, presenting to teenagers can feel like performing as a comedian whose jokes fall flat.

As Crystal Oceja with Bridges USA and Stand for Children Tennessee explains:

“The adults approach you with no authoritative energy. They are very open. They are cool. They check in. They don’t force you to do anything.”

Skills Learned + Earned

Most professionals—especially policy experts—rarely interact with young people in their workplace. This disconnect often prevents them from fully appreciating the skills required to engage with youths. This gap in understanding extends to teachers, school counselors, social workers, YA librarians, and others. With over 70 million people under 18 in the U.S., only about 2.5 million individuals hold specialized degrees in youth work from higher education institutions.

The skills needed to work with young people are unique, distinct from those of parents or authority figures. Building trust and rapport at the initial make-or-break stage is crucial. It often requires embracing radical ideas and patiently discussing proposed programs, services, legislation—even those proven ineffective. One invaluable skill among these staff is what I call “a third ear.” This heightened listening skill goes beyond hearing, delving into curiosity and imagination, encouraging even the most timid young people to open up and share. It’s rare for such open dialogue to happen naturally, especially in intergenerational settings. One test is when young people laugh and joke alongside adults decades their senior, erasing hierarchical barriers.

Take Carolyn Cox, who runs  a Medicaid-supported program in Washington that trains and pays young people to become certified peer counselors. One Board member aptly describes her unique talent:

“Carolyn creates this aura because young people know she really lets them be themselves, lets them feel, and lets them speak.”

Working with teenagers—whose primary job is school and who often juggle family responsibilities—requires artful agility. Consider a 16-year-old managing health issues while preparing for an interview with a reporter. The pressure of deadlines and anxiety might make them want to quit. Supporting them through such challenges takes patience, empathy, and flexibility.

How Not to Undermine These Specialists

One of the most challenging aspects of this work is the lack of appreciation and respect from colleagues and/or executives. I recall a senior writer at a major magazine once commenting that I looked like a camp counselor because of my neon orange t-shirt, which featured a design created by a 17-year-old for our nonprofit’s national (victorious) grassroots campaign. This dismissive remark stung, reflecting the pervasive attitude that do not value those who collaborate in the new level of co-piloting with teens. 

Just as professionals must go the extra mile to gain the trust of young people, senior leaders should invest effort in understanding and recognizing the adults who work with them.

Plates are spinning in dozens of directions. For example, multiple campaigns involving hundreds of teens with the Kentucky Student Voice Team, which boasts impressive achievements in data analysis and policy advocacy. It’s co-founder and managing director Rachel Belin emphasizes that their co-designed work is “an art, not a science” and carries a “mental load” magnified by the actual and perceived legal liabilities of working with minors.

To recognize and respect these professionals, organizations can adopt intentional strategies, including

• Allow flexible schedules to accommodate late afternoon and evening meetings, trainings, one-on-ones as well as weekend activities;
• Assign a senior level staff person to act as a consistent liaison for those working directly with young people;
• Seek technical assistance to help HR develop protocols for working with minors;
• Include these employees who typically are low-level or junior staff in decision-making processes, validating their roles rather than sidelining them;
• Consult these staff on how, not if, young people can be integrated into more organizational operations;
• Ensure fair compensation for these youth specialists to reduce turnover and maintain the trust built with the youth cohort;
• Encourage ongoing professional development through trainings, conferences, and networking opportunities that will help make youth representation the norm in nonprofits and government agencies. 

At its core, the essence of this work is simple yet profound: genuine R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Share Your Experiences + More Info

• Do You Have These 10 Critical Character Traits
• Youths Are Not Adults’ Sidekicks
• Why Aren’t We Doing This!Collaborating with Minors in Major Ways

Photo Credit:  UP for Learning