Centering the "Youth" in American Youth Policy Forum

Welcome to our Youth Council Microsite!

The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) is excited to feature this youth-focused section of our website, where we highlight artwork, resources, and tools created by and geared towards young people with experiences in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. Click on an icon below to navigate to a specific section of the microsite. 

Also, be sure to listen to our NEW podcast about credible messengers, which was led by the creativity, passion, and lived expertise of our Youth Policy Consultants! And you may be interested to view this recent video about elevating youth voices with Project 9 USA.

Are you a young person marginalized by systemic inequities? Are you interested in working with AYPF on federal policy issues that create opportunities or remove barriers to youth success? Please complete this form to express interest in joining our Youth Council and/or serving as a Youth Policy Consultant!

Art Gallery
Key Takeaways from Youth-Led Discussion Groups
Youth Profiles from Youth-Led Discussion Groups
Empowering Tools for Young People
AYPF Youth Advisors
AYPF Youth-Focused Events & Resources

Art Gallery

The below gallery features artwork created by individuals in the foster care and/or juvenile-justice systems.

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Photos courtesy of Arizona Department of Education, Maryhurst, Performing Statistics, Artworks Cincinnati and Urban Artworks

Key Takeaways from 2020 Youth-Led Discussion Groups

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Youth Profiles from 2020 Youth-Led Discussion Groups

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Autumn Adams
Marquez Davis
Rychan Haggins
Mallory Ozuna

Empowering Tools for Young People

In this section, we highlight resources for young people including advocacy tools, toolkits, and training curricula. Please browse our website for additional resources for justice-involved or youth in foster care.

For adult allies -> checkout these advocacy tools if you’re an educator or an advocate on behalf of a young person!

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  1. Financial Empowerment Toolkit (via Children’s Bureau)
  2. Strategic Sharing: Using Personal Stories for Advocacy (via North American Council on Adoptable Children)
  3. Caged Birds Sing: A Report by Girls on the A Unit at Waxter (via Sonia Kumar, ACLU of Maryland)
  4. Its Transition Time Checklist (via Foster Club)
  5. A Children’s Guide to Foster Care (via Compass Fostering)
  6. Guide for Children Under 5 (via Compass Fostering)
  7. Regenerations: Leadership Pipeline Toolkit (via Movement Strategy Center & Funders’ Collaborative on Youth Organizing)
  8. Performing Statistics Curriculum (via Performing Statistics)
  9. Interactive iCivic Games (via iCivics)

Meet AYPF’s Youth Policy Consultants

With the belief that those closest to the problem have a unique understanding of solutions, AYPF is partnering with young people to provide insights from their lived expertise to help shape policies and programs that directly impact their lives. For lawmakers to create policies that reflect the strengths and realities of our young people and achieve positive outcomes—especially including the goals they have for themselves and their communities—their voice must be at the center of the policymaking process.

The young people who serve as Youth Policy Consultants to AYPF have an array of lived experiences such as being young people of color, involvement in the child welfare or youth legal system, having lacked a safe place to live, and much more. Their unique perspectives help widen our understanding and impact on various policy issues facing young people marginalized by systemic inequities.

Check out our Youth Policy Consultants page to learn more.

AYPF Youth-Focused Events & Resources

See All Youth-Focused Resources

Please checkout additional resources below including past events, blogs, interviews, and more!

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