Work to increase young people's engagement in politics and civic life

"Today's young people are more aware than ever of the social, economic, and environmental problems affecting the way they live. Although there has been a recent call for greater involvement by young people in helping to address those problems, few adults seem to have accepted youth as having the desire or ability to make significant contributions to their resolution." Rennekamp (I included this quote being that I can't say it better and love to refer to words already crafted rather than recreating)

The Freechild Project suggests that actions by young people for social change are sophisticated and simple; powerful and meaningful. They offer this definition: "Youth empowerment is an attitudinal, structural, and cultural process whereby young people gain the ability, authority, and agency to make decisions and implement change in their own lives and the lives of other people, including youth and adults."

Roger Rennekamp and Adam Fletcher's work state youth empowerment occurs in homes, at schools, through youth organizations, government policy-making and community organizing campaigns. Major structural activities where youth empowerment happens throughout society include community decision-making, organizational planning, and education reform.

So, let's work to include youth and increase their engagement in politics and civic life! What do you say?