Laila Omar
Title: Communities Can’t Afford to Overlook Youth Voices
Across the nation, decisions that will define the next fifty years are being made without the input of the generation that will live through them the longest. From climate policy to education reform, young people are too often left on the sidelines, watching as choices about their future unfold without their consent.
YEP Initiatives challenges that status quo. Founded to dismantle the barriers between youth and civic life, the organization treats young people not as passive observers but as active stakeholders. Its programs are designed to place students directly in the rooms where decisions happen — and to prepare them to speak with clarity, confidence, and authority when they get there.
The approach is simple: give youth the training, connections, and resources they need, then get out of the way. Through leadership workshops, strategic advocacy campaigns, and school-based charter clubs, YEP Initiatives equips students with both the technical skills and the lived experience to create measurable change. The organization’s expert panels bring students face-to-face with policy makers, community leaders, and professionals, breaking down the invisible walls between generations.
The results are already visible. Local councils have adopted youth-proposed measures. Schools have implemented student-driven initiatives on mental health and sustainability. Entire communities have been re-energized by the ideas and determination of their youngest members.
Ignoring youth voices is not just a missed opportunity — it is a recipe for short-sighted decision-making. YEP Initiatives proves that when young people are given real power, they not only rise to the occasion, they often lead the way. The challenge now falls to every community: create space for them, or risk building a future without them.
