Celebrating 15 Years of Youth Advocacy!
For 15 years, our Youth Advocacy Program has worked with young people ages 15-22 with lived experience in the foster care and justice systems, to provide trauma-informed skills-based programing, advocacy training, peer and staff support, financial compensation and resources to address their mental health and wellness.
As a part of two groups, Advocates For Youth Justice and Advocates Transforming Youth Systems, our youth advocates engage in policy advocacy, media outreach, and public education; they speak to the public and policymakers, write op eds, appear in the media to elevate their work, and inform Juvenile Law Center’s overall strategies and approaches.
Help Us Build the Future
Please help to raise our $150,000 fundraising goal this year! Your individual support will help us:
cover the costs of meetings & speaking engagements including stipends for all work by youth advocates, food, and travel
fund mental health and wellness resources, including a full-time social worker
help purchase signage and print materials for projects and advocacy campaigns
provide gear and support for remote connectivity
Looking Back; Looking Forward
It's impossible to capture all of the accomplishments of our youth advocates in just one video. Our program has seen hundreds of youth create lasting change at both the local and national level. Here are just some of those moments.
Featured Projects
Every year our youth advocates come together to work on a project targeting specific aspects of the juvenile justice or child welfare systems. Here are just a few examples of their work in action.