119 - Empowering RJ Change Agents: Elevating Youth Perspectives to Guide Restorative Justice Grantmaking

Abstract Information: Empowering Youth as Restorative Justice Change Agents

Youth voices are often ignored in evaluation. This means their perspectives are not proactively included in strategic planning, which begs the question: In what ways can we uplift youth voices to guide restorative justice funding strategies?

This session shares powerful narratives from a learning series engaging youth, educators, advocates, and practitioners. We’ll explore how a youth-informed roadmap for grantmaking can center dignity, accountability, and systemic change. Participants will 1) learn about how to incorporate participatory approaches to amplify Black and Brown youth leadership; 2) gain tools for investing in the ingenuity of young change agents working to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline and 3) how you can utilize this perspective to shape community-based restorative initiatives, policy advocacy, and philanthropic investment.