Healthy Teen Network believes that authentic youth engagement, an approach we call youth at the center, is vital for achieving positive health and well-being outcomes for all youth.

Organizations that deliver sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health services should integrate youth engagement in their design, development, and delivery of opportunities, supports, and services. Professionals who provide sexuality education, clinical care, and supportive services to youth should commit themselves to learning about and practicing youth engagement and to encouraging the organizations with which they are associated in empowering youth voice and involving youth in decision-making about and implementation of the organization’s programs and operations.

Public and private agencies and organizations that provide financial and capacity-building support to youth-supporting organizations should encourage such organizations to place youth at the center of their program design, development, and delivery, and should provide the fiscal and technical resources to empower such organizations in practicing youth engagement.

Healthy Teen Network shares position statements on relevant issues for young people as a resource to support your advocacy efforts. See more position statements here.