At a glance
- Creating a Youth Advisory Council (YAC) action plan is an important task.
- YAC action plans outline how to fill the gap between where students are and where they want to be.
- An action plan is the roadmap for the day-to-day work of the YAC and a way to track progress.
YAC sample action plan
The following is an example of an action plan written and implemented by student members of a fictional Youth Advisory Council (YAC).
Action plan for understanding barriers to a district's youth participation in prevention programming
View (or download) the sample action plan to guide the development of your action plan.
Note: This sample action plan lists roles (such as YAC members, supportive adults). Real action plans should name specific people responsible for each step in the action plan. Depending on your school calendar, plan for a pause during spring and/or fall break.
Youth Advisory Council background
Established in 2021, this YAC has 12 high school students from across the district. The superintendent established the YAC to increase student engagement in programs encouraging high school students to avoid drugs and risky sexual behaviors.
The council receives support from adult mentors, district leaders, and a community-based organization that provides youth leadership training to the YAC. This organization also provides meeting space and other supports to help the YAC succeed.
Issue background
Throughout the district's high schools, there are high-quality prevention programs about avoiding drugs and risky sexual behaviors. Yet student participation in these programs has remained low.
District officials do not currently know what students like and do not like about the prevention programs—or how to get more students engaged. The officials discussed this challenge with the YAC, hoping that the YAC could help.