About Youth Advisory Councils

At a glance

  • Youth Advisory Councils (YACs) provide ongoing advice and support to school districts on policies and practices that affect students.
  • YACs are formal groups working with adults, blending points of view to have a positive influence on others.
High school students sitting and talking in the library.

Role of YACs

Youth can be empowered through Youth Advisory Councils.

Keys to success

Youth Advisory Councils (YACs) are formal groups that make decisions, advise others, or act to improve the schools and communities they serve.

YACs—sometimes called youth advisory boards—offer opportunities for youth and adults to work together. The councils can blend points of view and experiences of both youth and adults to build strong partnerships.

Did you know?

A well-designed and focused YAC program gives youth a voice in a program or an organization. Youth have the power to make decisions that shape their community and school environments.

Focus and goals

Youth and adults work together in YACs to decide on their focus and goals. Prevention and improvement are two examples.

Prevention

  • Drug abuse.
  • Sexual health risks.

To decrease students' sexual health risks, YACs could support education programs on counseling, testing, or treatment services for students.

Improvement

  • Student mental health.
  • Safe spaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning (LBGTQ+) youth, students with disabilities, and other youth within a specific school district.

To increase safety for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, or another diverse sexual orientation or gender identity (LGBTQ+) youth, and students with disabilities, YACs should include a diversity of students and focus on solutions that affect their concerns.

Youth voices can make a difference

Working together

Youth work with supportive adults to make important decisions together. In this way, the YACs have a positive influence on others and have the opportunity to improve schools and communities.

A group of high school students standing in front of a school building with a teacher.
Youth Advisory Councils Structure
Youth Advisory Councils can vary in structure. There are basic guidelines and roles for members.
Two students looking at a laptop screen.
Using Data to Make Decisions
Youth Advisory Councils can use data about schools and students to guide their work.
An adult moderator with seated high school students gathered around a student standing and speaking.
Youth Advisory Councils Action Plans
Action plans identify issues, goals, and steps to solve issues and reach goals.
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Content Source:
Division of Adolescent and School Health; National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion