Audra Watson, Ph.D., Chief of Youth Civic Programs at Citizens & Scholars and CivicsNJ Steering Committee member, as well as her colleagues from Citizens and Scholars, Christine Foley, Program Officer for Civic Youth Programs and Kilan White, a Carnegie Young Leaders Program coach and member of the Citizens & Scholars Youth Consulting Team, delivered an enriching program on ‘Listening Not Fixing: Leaning Into Youth Leadership’. 

Citizens and Scholars centers youth civic leadership through three programs – Carnegie Youth Leaders, Youth Advisory Council and Intergenerational Summit. They successfully invite young people into spaces, allowing youth to lead fellow youth. The organic growth creates a pathway for young people to authentically impact their communities. Adults tend to be directive in their support of youth voices, but it’s possible to reshape and reframe their allyship, creating opportunities for youth to lead and make a difference. Through two interactive case studies and rich Q&A, Audra, Christine and Kilan engaged attendees in a discussion that highlighted the three pillars of youth leadership: ownership, peer power and intergenerational partnership. Please click here for a recording of the event and here to review the deck.