Building the Field of Ethical, Authentic, and Youth-led Advocacy: Key Components of a Youth Advocacy Program

Cathy Moffa,
Cover for report including bright, colorful abstract artwork

Building the Field of Ethical, Authentic, and Youth-led Advocacy: Key Components of a Youth Advocacy Program is a tool developed by Cathy Moffa with countless other social workers, attorneys, graduate interns, fellows, and young advocates with lived experience working and re-working to craft a model for developing youth-led advocacy efforts and programming. This model is made up of components outlining guiding principles supported by research, active protocols and processes used by Juvenile Law Center’s Youth Advocacy Program, and reflections provided by program members. The key components guide is a document intended for those who work with youth and youth themselves engaged in experience-led advocacy. It is designed to provide guiding principles and a framework for developing and supporting youth-led advocacy, using the best practices Juvenile Law Center's Youth Advocacy Program has gleaned over the past twelve years.

The Youth Advocacy Program staff would like to specifically thank the W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation for supporting this project. Your continued investment and support have allowed the program to grow and transform into a national leader in the field of youth-led advocacy. 

About the Expert

As Youth Advocacy Program Manager, Cathy manages, coordinates, and facilitates the office's youth advocacy programs: Advocates Transforming Youth Systems, Advocates for Youth Justice, and the Youth Speakers Bureau. Additionally, Cathy supervises the yearly social work intern.