E UTILIZING
COUNCIL MEETINGS
There are many ways to structure youth advisory council meetings.
Here are some tips that may help.
1. PRE-MEETING PLANNING
Planning is required to ensure the meetings
run smoothly and cover structure, agenda,
and youth preparation. The role of the adult
partner is to ensure youth have the skills
to be successful. If this is the council’s first
meeting, model the following and determine
as a group what roles youth will play in the
subsequent meeting.
Planning.
• Meetings should be co-facilitated by youth and
adults and allow youth to learn leadership skills.
• Prepare and coach youth facilitators before the
meeting so they can be successful.
• Invite school and/or district-level administration/
leadership to youth council meetings whenever
possible.
• Agendas should be planned by youth and
adults:
• Order food (if applicable).
• Ensure meeting space has the necessary
audiovisual equipment (e.g., projector/
screen).
• Print tracking/sign-in sheet for attendance
(this can double for payroll and incentive
payout).
- - Consider tracking attendance and/or
incentives electronically (e.g., Google
Docs, Excel spreadsheet, Smartsheet).
This may help reduce the chance of
losing/misplacing pieces of paper and
decrease the time necessary for youth
leadership administrative work.
• Create, complete, share the agenda online
(consider using Google Docs).
• Create an action plan template for the work
outlined in the agenda.
• Youth facilitator distributes the agenda,
meeting reminder, and any tasks to be
completed before each meeting.
• Determine a process and/or electronic platform
for open/transparent communication between
meetings.
PLAN AHEAD.
Save documents that will become valuable for
grants, reports, and storytelling.
kp.org/artsintegratedresources
13