Advancing Youth Leadership Strategies for OJJDP Mentoring Grantees

After three years on the National Mentoring Resource Center (NMRC) Youth Advisory Council (YAC), I found myself once again in Washington, D.C., attending my third New Grantee Orientation. The OJJDP New Grantee Orientation is a one-day event designed to provide information and resources to OJJDP grantees, supporting them in their mentoring work.  

Despite having served on a similar panel the year before, I felt that familiar buzz of nervous energy as I stepped onto the speaker’s stage. Before me sat a room full of passionate mentoring professionals—each eager to learn how to more meaningfully incorporate youth feedback and leadership into their programs. Last year’s panel focused broadly on the benefits of including youth voice—how it strengthens organizations and empowers young people alike. I shared my personal journey on the YAC and the sense of agency I gained through specific projects and leadership roles. This year, however, our panel took a deeper dive. We tackled the “how” by exploring practical steps for integrating youth voice into existing structures. We discussed the different levels of youth engagement and how to tailor projects to match those levels in a way that values young people’s time and input. 

The NMRC YAC is a council of adolescents and young adults who infuse youth voice into the work of the NMRC, providing feedback on its resources and trainings to ensure that youth perspectives are captured and creating materials for youth, by youth. In 2024, the NMRC YAC produced a guide titled “A Guide to Applying Youth Voice: Tips to Implement Youth Voice Through a Youth Advisory Council.” The process of curating the information for the guide in addition to research and outreach to various programs over the years has left me with a solid foundation in this topic. I drew on this foundation during the panel to answer curated questions relaying my experiences and translating them into tangible recommendations that the grantees in the room could put into use. But just as much as I was a speaker, I was also a learner. My peer, Quameer (Que) Riggins, of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s National Youth Council, offered thoughtful reflections on how youth voice has been embraced in his own program. I was energized by the diversity of perspectives on the panel and felt reassured by the presence of other youth, including my fellow NMRC council member Aaryan Nema, who served as our moderator. What continues to inspire me each year is the openness of the mentoring community including the grantees who are willing to listen, learn, and adapt, even in the face of logistical or generational challenges. I can’t wait to see how they bring youth voices to life in their work, and I’m grateful to have played a part in that journey. 

For more information about youth involvement in the NMRC click here. 

For more information about OJJDP mentoring grantees, click here or visit the OJJDP grantee geomap to locate OJJDP grantees in your area.