The First Steps to Take When Decarbonising a Business.

Youth Advisory Boards: why should large organisations consider getting one?

Youth Advisory Boards are increasingly popular and can be seen present amongst organisations including Unicef, Local Councils and even The London Natural History Museum. 

But what’s the point?

Ideally, youth advisory boards represent diverse ages, backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities. They help organisations serve the needs of future generations by giving young people a voice in decision making, helping to shape new policies and strategic direction that will directly affect the rest of our lives. 

They educate both adults and young people on the issues the youth are facing and provide opportunities for those keen to express their concerns, their hopes and their dreams. They aim to hold decision makers accountable and often help identify new priorities that are often around social and environmental justice. 

Many of us held little to no power as children. We did what we were told, learnt what we needed to and were often encouraged away from questioning what was around us too much. We grew into teenagers and began to observe complex political and economic structures, and similarly we were often taught not to discuss such controversial topics with family, friends or strangers.

Could it be that as adults, we become victims of indoctrination? Deep rooted social constructs embedded within our thinking; considered ‘the norm’, but ultimately just one of many possibilities. Are adults often less sensitive to what they observe and experience? Quick to make biassed judgements, unconsciously resistant to change? Resistance to changes which could lead to outdated procedure upgrades resulting in new and beautiful outcomes (if resourced adequately and implemented sufficiently). 

Youth Boards are a fabulous opportunity for young people, empowering them to step out of their repressed state, encouraging them to express opinions and take hold of their power as positive change makers and future leaders. 

‘Question everything, learn something & answer nothing’ Euripides.

Are youth boards what we need to encourage us to no longer accept what we cannot change, but change what we cannot accept?

A brand new in-depth blog post coming soon, watch this space: