Youth at the Table

This Idea has been promoted to the Top 20. 

Idea Overview

Bridge the gap between high school youth and adults through meaningful collaboration on decision-making bodies - including long-term participation and mentorship on boards.

Idea Round Up Concept Sheet

Who worked on idea?

Ryan Oliver, Paige Berry, Elizabeth Perry, Sarah Coon

What is the idea?

Our program will bring youth to the table...Bridging the gap between high school youth and adults through meaningful collaboration on decision-making bodies - including long-term participation and mentorship on boards.

How would idea work?

• Student selection: tap into potential leaders rather than identified/current student leaders, range of school participation
• Boards: range of decision-making bodies including foundations, school boards, community organizations, neighborhood associations, hospital boards, political boards, non-profits, businesses, authorities
• Boards grant full membership (within legal bounds) to students and provide one-to-one mentors (mentors are trained)
• Start small-spread program with success
• Training/retreat for both adults and youth
• Long-term commitment for all involved
• Specific involvement criteria/expectations for adults and youth
• Student incentive - college scholarship at completion
• Board contribution to program and scholarship based on ability to do so
• Student bus tickets to get to meetings
• On staff-program manager/director and a volunteer advisory board (that includes recent program alumni and/or students

Pluses:

• Students: leadership development, long-term connection to community, develop self esteem as their ideas are valued, professional development and mentoring, youth population throughout Pgh are represented, learn strategies to create change, ENGAGE, scholarship, network beyond network of their peers
• Adult Board members: window to new perspective/youth viewpoint on issues, personally and professionally challenged, change stereo-types of people different from themselves (age, race, socio-economics, gender), "Youth at the Table" organization
• Community: improved communication, representation/collaboration between under-represented communities, greater understanding, better citizens, development of youth network

Concerns:

• Diverse pool of students
• Institutional nervousness
• Board buy-in
• Long-term operating support/commitment
• Youth accessibility, transportation, availability
• Mentor clearances

Community opportunities:

• Everyone
• High school students, education establishment, political establishment, adult leadership, SPROUT
• Potential Boards: Heinz Endowments; Women and Girls Foundation; Pgh Public Schools; Grable Foundation; Pgh League of Young Voters; Charter school review teams; League of Women Voters; Urban League; YMCA/YWCA; 3 Rivers Workforce Development; UPMC; PAT; Coro; Buhl Foundation; McCune Foundation; Union Project; RK Mellon Foundation; etc., etc., etc.