Using Personal Experiences to Guide Decision-Making

At a glance

  • A strength of Youth Advisory Councils (YACs) is that youth can draw on their own experiences to offer background and bring unique, personal perspectives to their work.
  • By sharing experiences, youth help frame key challenges, so others can understand and explore solutions that best support young people.

Overview

Cloud with a bar graph, with lines connecting the graph to two circles with check marks and one circle with an X.
YACs should respect the different experiences, thoughts, worldviews, and backgrounds that each member brings to the table.

As Youth Advisory Council (YAC) members, youth bring useful experiences to the work of the council. But it is important to note that one member's experiences could be different from that of other members.

Keep in mind‎

Each member's views are unique and do not represent the experiences of all youth.

Considerations

It is important to consider diverse perspectives. In that way, youth can make decisions and create programs that address the needs of more students in a school or district.

  • Consider the experiences of all affected by the issue—including those whose experiences differ.
  • This will help to build the YAC's identity and reputation and better support all students in the school or district.

Data-driven decision-making

Personal experience is just one piece of the puzzle. YAC members should balance real-world experiences with data and information on the issues that affect the larger community. This approach helps focus not only on members' concerns, but also the challenges that others face.

To improve chances for success, YACs should use facts, data, and other information, along with experiences. This is the optimal way to guide decisions that align with their goals, objectives, and programs.