Guiding Principles

Certain guiding principles are at the core of the Coalition’s YCE work. YCE efforts:

• lay the groundwork for an on-going commitment to engaging young people in the civic life of the community;
• instill in young people a sense of stake, ownership, and enfranchisement in the community and in the larger society;
• enable young people to contribute to community and institutional change at the policy level;
• engage young people in issues of consequence to the community;
• value the contributions young people can make now to community life, not just as future citizens;
• provide young people and adults with the skills, tools, networks, and supports they need to work together effectively;
• increase the visibility of young people involved in public work and heighten society’s appreciation of young people’s contributions;
• contribute to a culture of respect, partnership, and shared responsibility between youth and adults;
• engage young people in the design, planning and evaluation of civic engagement activities;
• establish positions of authority and responsibility for young people in priority-setting and other decision-making processes;
• give priority to reaching beyond the "always chosen" youth;
• bring together young people from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities and areas of the community; and
• incorporate positive youth development principles and practices.

Issues of race and class divide our communities and are primary reasons that many young people do not thrive. Youth civic engagement is a viable strategy for broadening a community’s leadership base in ways that more accurately reflect its demographics. Community building principles provide a sound framework for grappling with these issues. A copy of the principles adopted by the National Community Building Network (NCBN) is available here.