Youth Leadership
“When youth have the opportunity to engage in values-based leadership, they become values-based teachers, lawyers, electricians, neighbors, parents, doctors, and journalists. Now, more than ever, it is evident that we need to cultivate a future with more values-based people in our schools, communities, and workplaces.”
Blake Comeaux, Youth Impact Fellow (2022)
Juan Zarco, Youth Impact Fellow (2022)
Courtney Holder, Impact Fellow (2022)
The Future of Youth Leadership Development Policy Reports
Over the course of one year, inaugural CELO Impact Fellows collaborated across sectors, participating in over 24 hours of design sprints focused on the advancement of youth leadership development. The culmination of their experience led to two policy reports. These policy reports outline the background and importance of leadership education issues as well as recommendations for action and case studies centering youth experiences in leadership development opportunities.
The Future of Youth Leadership Development Practice:
A Call to Increase Access and Quality
The research agenda proposed in this publication includes:
- Reach Beyond Formal Classrooms and Educational Organizations to Increase Access
- Embed Leadership Learning Across Academic Curricula to Increase Access
- Address Mental Health and Well-Being by Adopting Holistic Approaches to Leadership Development
- Integrate Career and Leadership Development to Meet the Needs of an Evolving Workforce
- Meet Youth and Families Where They Are by Investing in Place-Based, Community-Driven Leadership Development
- The Time is Now: A Call to Action
Advancing Youth Leadership Development Research:
Moving the Field Toward Greater Access and Quality
The research agenda proposed in this publication includes:
- Reimagine Where and How Leadership Development is Measured
- Demonstrate the Value Proposition of Youth Leadership Development
- Position Cultural Relevance as Core to Leadership Theory and Research
- Expand Knowledge and Understanding of Leadership and the Context in Which it Occurs
- Deepen the Knowledge About the Role of Leadership Educators, Adults, and Peers in the Leadership Development Process
- Invest in Brain-Based Neuroscientific Research to Understand and Unlock Knowledge to Drive Program Quality
- Staging the Next Generation of Youth Leadership Scholarship: A Call to Action