Youth-Forward programming
Root Change works with partners to integrate youth into all social change initiatives, fostering interactions that build new skills, confidence, and social capital. At the same time, we ensure that community members benefit from the insights, skills, and energy that youth bring to community work.
Promoting youth leadership to advance equity
Root Change works with youth, youth-led organizations, youth-serving organizations, and partners that engage or aspire to engage youth, supporting them to grow confidence and agency, collaborate across differences, participate in decision-making, and take action on the issues that matter most in their communities.
Our youth-forward work focuses on practical, hands-on experiences that build confidence, agency, and social capital. We help youth test new approaches, apply learning in real-world projects, reflect on outcomes, and contribute insights and energy that benefit peers and the broader community.
Root Change designs learning experiences that help young people move from participation to leadership. Drawing on years of teaching, facilitation, coaching, and youth-centered program design, we use participatory methods, social labs, workshops, educational games, lean experimentation cycles, and mentorship to support youth as active contributors. Across our programs, we have engaged hundreds of youth and youth-led groups in the United States and abroad to identify priorities, strengthen networks, pilot solutions, and advance more equitable community outcomes.
Stories & Insights
What WiLEAD’s First Year Taught Us About Environmental Action as Democratic Practice
From Classrooms to Communities: Inside Wisconsin’s Labs for Environment & Democracy (WiLEAD)
Introducing WiLEAD: Where Environmental Action Meets Civic Trust Building
Introducing the Youth Equity Index: Measuring What Really Matters in Youth Engagement
Youth-Forward Programming in Practice
Strengthening Global Youth Networks: Root Change supported youth-led organizations and networks in Kenya and Guatemala as a technical lead to IREX under USAID Youth Excel. We measured equity, leadership, and influence within youth networks while helping young leaders develop advocacy strategies and collective action campaigns.
Youth Leading Environmental Action in Wisconsin: Root Change is promoting youth leadership and civic engagement through Wisconsin Labs for Environment and Democracy (WiLEAD), which bring together residents, community organizations, local governments, and university students to address environmental challenges by building relationships, testing solutions, and strengthening local capacity for community resilience and democratic participation.
Enhancing Effectiveness of Youth Programs Worldwide: Root Change led a three-year organizational strengthening effort with Children international involving more than 800 staff across 10 countries. The initiative helped Children International strengthen programs serving children and youth through human-centered design, organizational learning, experimentation, and strategic planning.
Mapping Youth Opportunity Ecosystems in Kenya: With the Aga Khan Foundation, Root Change mapped 500+ actors and 1,400+ relationships across three coastal counties, helping partners identify key influencers, strengthen collaboration, and inform the expansion of AKF’s Schools2030 model, including teacher-led innovations such as the T-Learning Model.