Preparing Youth to Use Their Voice

Lessons from a Decade of Youth–Adult Partnership

Lesson 8:

Leadership Is Built Long Before the Microphone

One of the greatest privileges of partnering with young people is watching them discover the power of their own voice.  

Whether they are presenting to legislators, testifying before legislative committees, speaking at conferences, presenting to judges, serving on youth panels, educating CASA volunteers, training child welfare professionals, or sharing their experiences with child welfare leaders and community partners, these moments can be transformational. They can also be terrifying.  

Many adults assume that because a young person is articulate in meetings or eager to participate, they are ready to stand in front of an audience. In reality, public speaking is a learned skill, and for many youth—particularly those whose experiences have included trauma, instability, or repeated messages that their opinions do not matter—stepping behind a podium requires tremendous courage.  

Preparing youth for these opportunities is far more than writing talking points.  

It is building confidence before they ever walk into the room.  

Confidence Begins at Home

The most important preparation doesn’t happen the week before a presentation.  

It begins months—or even years—earlier through the everyday experience of belonging within the advisory board itself.  

Young people develop confidence when they are consistently listened to. When their ideas influence decisions. When they are encouraged to disagree respectfully. When adults ask follow-up questions because they genuinely care what youth think. When they experience making mistakes without being shamed. When they gradually discover that they have something worth saying.   

The leadership curriculum provides another essential foundation. Communication skills, teamwork, self-awareness, conflict resolution, facilitation, and critical thinking all contribute to becoming an effective presenter. Every activity, discussion, and leadership opportunity strengthens capacities that will eventually be called upon in public settings.  

Because public speaking was such an important part of the Youth Advisory Board experience, every statewide meeting included a public speaking workshop. Youth learned how to organize a presentation, tell a compelling story, make eye contact, project their voice, manage pacing, respond thoughtfully to questions, and adapt to different audiences. They practiced in front of one another, received constructive feedback, and had repeated opportunities to improve. Like every other leadership skill, confidence grew through preparation, practice, coaching, and experience.   

By the time youth stood in front of an audience, the presentation was simply another opportunity to use skills they had already been practicing.  

The opportunities themselves became increasingly meaningful. Youth presented individually and as members of panels before legislators, judges, child welfare leaders, university audiences, and hundreds of professionals at statewide conferences. They also participated in youth panels for audiences such as CASA volunteers. Those panels reflected an important principle of youth engagement: no one young person speaks for every youth with lived experience. Each brought a unique story and perspective. Together they painted a fuller, more authentic picture than any one individual could provide. Working as a panel also helped youth support one another and often became the bridge to confidently presenting on their own.   

Preparation Is More Than Rehearsal

Strong preparation includes much more than reviewing slides or memorizing remarks.  

Before every presentation, staff met with youth to ensure they understood not only what they were saying, but why it mattered.  

Helpful preparation included discussing: 

• Who would be in the audience. 

• Why the audience invited youth to speak. 

• What the audience already knew—and what they might not understand. 

• The purpose of the presentation. 

• Who else would be presenting and how the presentation would flow. 

• The amount of time available. 

• Who would introduce the speakers. 

• Whether questions were likely and how to respond if they did not know an answer. 

• Appropriate attire and professional expectations. 

• Logistics such as parking, security, microphones, meals, and timing. 

Reducing uncertainty reduces anxiety.  

The goal was never to script every word. The goal was to eliminate unnecessary surprises so youth could focus on communicating authentically.   

Be Their Safety Net

Preparation does not end once everyone arrives.   

Some of the most important work happens on the day of the presentation.  

Even experienced speakers become nervous.   

Staff arrived early, helped youth become familiar with the space, answered last-minute questions, reminded them they were prepared, and helped calm the inevitable butterflies. They were there to celebrate successes, offer reassurance after difficult questions, and quietly provide encouragement whenever confidence wavered. 

Sometimes that meant practicing introductions one more time.   

Sometimes it meant making everyone laugh.  

Sometimes it meant quietly reminding a young person to breathe.   

Sometimes it simply meant standing nearby so they knew they were not alone.   

Youth rarely remember every word they said.  

They almost always remember who stood beside them while they found the courage to say it.  

When Preparation Changes Minds

One of the most powerful examples of this approach came during the effort to pass Illinois’ Hair Care legislation.   

The legislation established that every young person in the care of Illinois’ child welfare system who wanted one would be entitled to a Hair Care Plan. Whether a young person lived with a foster family, in a relative’s home, in a residential placement, or in an independent living arrangement, they would have a plan to ensure their hair care needs were understood and supported. The legislation recognized that appropriate hair care is not a luxury. It is an essential part of supporting a young person’s cultural identity, self-esteem, dignity, and well-being.  

For too many young people, no one was responsible for ensuring they had the products, services, resources, or guidance needed to care for their hair appropriately. The Hair Care Plan established that this was not an optional consideration—it was an expectation of quality care.   

Several Youth Advisory Board members prepared to testify before Illinois legislators in support of the legislation. Like every presentation opportunity, the preparation extended far beyond writing testimony. Staff worked with the youth to understand the purpose of the hearing, who would be in the room, what legislators might already understand, and, just as importantly, what they likely did not.  

Many legislators initially underestimated the significance of the proposal because they saw hair care as a cosmetic issue rather than a matter of dignity, identity, and well-being. 

The youth helped them understand that it was never just about hair.  

Through their testimony, legislators learned that appropriate hair care affects mental health, self-esteem, cultural identity, peer relationships, educational experiences, employment opportunities, and a young person’s sense of dignity and belonging. They connected public policy to everyday life in ways statistics and written reports never could.  

Several legislators later acknowledged that the youth’s testimony changed their understanding of the issue. What had initially seemed like a minor issue became recognized as an issue of equity, well-being, and opportunity.   

The testimony belonged to the youth, but they never stood alone.  

Staff prepared them beforehand, stood beside them throughout the day, encouraged them when nerves surfaced, and supported them through challenging conversations and negotiations, including times when the Department was not initially fully supportive of the legislation. Throughout the process, staff modeled respectful advocacy, thoughtful preparation, persistence, and professionalism.  

The young people learned something much larger than how to testify before a legislative committee. They learned how to educate decision-makers rather than simply persuade them. They learned how to advocate without attacking, remain grounded when others disagreed, answer difficult questions with confidence, and persist through challenging negotiations without losing sight of the goal.   

It was a powerful example of parallel process. Staff prepared youth, listened to them, believed in them, and stood beside them throughout the process. The youth, in turn, prepared thoroughly, listened respectfully, educated legislators, built relationships, and advocated for meaningful change in exactly the same way they had been taught and supported.   

The Hair Care legislation became an important victory. Equally important was that the young people left knowing they had the ability to educate decision-makers, influence public policy, and improve the lives of other youth.  

Celebrate the Win—and Learn From It

After every presentation, create time to reflect.   

Ask what felt good.   

Ask what was challenging.  

Ask what surprised them.   

Ask what they would do differently next time.  

Celebrate growth, not perfection.  

A presentation that feels awkward to a young person may still have profoundly moved the audience.  

Reflection transforms one speaking opportunity into preparation for the next.  

The Goal Is Independence

Ultimately, we are not preparing youth to deliver one excellent presentation. 

We are preparing them to become adults who can confidently advocate for themselves, their families, their communities, and future generations.  

The role of an adult partner is much like riding alongside someone learning to ride a bicycle.   

At first, we hold the seat.  

Then we steady the handlebars.   

Eventually, without them even noticing, we let go.  

Not because they no longer need us.  

But because they have discovered they can balance on their own.  

That is the true measure of youth-adult partnership—not that adults become skilled at speaking for youth, but that young people discover the confidence and competence to use their voices to improve their own lives and the lives of others.