Youth Advisory Council - Autumn 2013

Who: The YAC is comprised of young people from across the continent dedicated to creating change in their communities and inspiring others to do the same.

How: DoSomething.org strives to encompass a wide range of opinions and life experiences reflected and influenced by its Youth Advisory Council members. DoSomething.org staff reviews the applications and selects a competitive few members at the start of each semester.

When: YAC members will be contacted every week via email with sweet opportunities and sneak peaks into new things we are rolling out for feedback. YAC members also get to participate in two video hangouts with other YAC members passionate about their cause and DoSomething.org staff members who support it. The Spring 2013 semester responsibilities are 1.5 hrs/week and run from September to December. Active members will be considered in priority for Spring 2014.

Why: While DoSomething.org utilizes focus groups and teen marketing experts, this information isn't merely informative. It is vital to the success of the organization that a group of teens are actual stakeholders in the organization, helping to influence the organization's direction and to keep us up to date with what's hot and what's not.

DoSomething.org is committed to giving young people opportunities to make a difference. It is important to present a forum for youth to speak about and participate in the planning, policy development and evaluation of program services. Creating and truly utilizing the input of the YAC are additional means of giving youth the chance to participate in changing the world.

What: Providing feedback about programmatic direction and decisions of the organization as well as a commitment to support DoSomething.org initiatives. Examples include:

• Assisting in the determination of ideal logos, images, resources, and campaign concepts.
• Weekly written and video diary entries regarding the semester's volunteering.
• Reviewing the word choice(s), celebrity targets, and website content. The Youth Advisory Council keeps DoSomething.org “on brand.” A veritable “teen police,” the YACers keep DoSomething.org fresh, relevant, and appealing to the target market.
• Representing the DoSomething.org Advisory Council at meetings, conferences, and in the community at large; YACers act as the official youth “ambassadors” for DoSomething.org.
• Actively engage on our Facebook group with feedback and support for other YACers projects.

Where it counts: While the YAC helps DoSomething.org, the YACers also benefit. By participating in the Youth Advisory Council, young people develop skills they can use throughout their lives, such as decision making, working with a team, presentation skills, developing creative ideas, and gaining knowledge about governance and its ability to impact communities. In the past DoSomething.org YAC has been extended opportunities like remote internships, social media campaign management, and published articles.