What is a youth consultation?
A youth consultation is a meaningful activity where young people are able to share their opinions in a comfortable, safe and structured environment. When you undertake a youth consultation you should do so knowing that you will act on the thoughts which have been shared by the youth who took part in it, with the purpose to use the results to inform decision making on activities and programmes that directly affect them.
Consulting with young people is not simply asking young people to approve a youth project or service. Young people have broad interests and concerns. Just like any other community member, young people will have opinions on all issues that affect their community – not just on ‘youth issues’.
Consulting with young people – about a range of relevant issues – will help you:
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provide more suitable and relevant services and activities
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understand new and unique perspectives
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make better, more informed decisions
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strengthen community connections
Why is a youth consultation useful?
For over a century, Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting have taught us how valuable it is to listen to the voices of girls and young women. We have experienced first-hand the incredible outcomes that happen when girls and young women are consulted and involved in the design, delivery, and evaluation of initiatives. In previous activities such as the Listen to Girls resource, the U-report consultations, and most recently our consultation on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), we have asked girls about different topics and taken their input to improve our activities and programmes. We know that by playing a key role in the evolution of a project, girls feel a sense of ownership and achievement. Excitingly, youth consultations are becoming increasingly popular outside of the Movement as well and we want to ensure that all Girl Guides and Girl Scouts feel empowered to take part in youth and community consultations both inside and outside of Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting.