This Toolkit provides guidance for State Advisory Groups (SAGs) to encourage discussions or efforts for enhancing youth collaboration and engagement. Furthermore, it provides concrete strategies and recommendations that SAGs can employ to build authentic and sustained youth partnerships with directly impacted persons.
This Toolkit, written by Kyla Woods, consultant to the Center for Coordinated Assistance to States (CCAS), in collaboration with fellow members of the Youth Leaders in Action (YLA) Committee of Washington D.C.’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Group (JJAG), provides a resource for ensuring that youth and young adults with lived experience can assist in shaping policy recommendations and providing local support service oversight. The Toolkit presents the experience of Ms. Woods and her initial invitation to a State Advisory Group (SAG) event, providing insights into how SAGs can respect the time and efforts put forth by young people as well as demonstrate equitable partnership. The Toolkit notes various methods for approaching fiscal sponsorship, with key principles and lists of considerations that will help make the SAG partnership a smooth process. The document provides checklists, guidance on topics such as compassionate coaching, a sample timeline, and lessons learned from YLA.