Youth Voice in Community Schools - A Practical Guide to Advance Community School Strategies for Youth Voice, Engagement, and Leadership

Oct 15, 2026

A practical guide examining youth voice, engagement, and leadership in Community Schools. It supports practitioners with field-informed practices, equitable opportunities, and resources to better understand how to advance strategies that strengthen positive youth development. The guide highlights the state of the field, common elements of youth engagement and empowerment, and the conditions and standards that shape community school implementation, including insights from national network survey findings and youth stories.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages54

Reading Time2 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Acknowledgments

Preface

About the Institute for Educational Leadership

About the Coalition for Community Schools

Purpose

About Community Schools

The Community School Standards

The Community Schools Research Agenda

Executive Summary

The State of the Field

Youth Voice, Engagement, and Leadership

Youth Stories

References

Appendix: Methodology & Analysis

Youth Voice In Community Schools Institute for Educational Leadership Youth Voice in Community Schools A Practical Guide to Advance Community School Strategies for Youth Voice, Engagement, and Leadership Prepared by Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) 4301 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite 100 Washington, DC 20008 August 2022 © 2022 Institute for Education Leadership INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP • YOUTH VOICE IN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS 2 Acknowledgments This guide was produced by the Institute for Educational Leadership. (IEL) to examine the voice, engagement, and leadership of youth in Community Schools and to illuminate practices from the field. The guide serves to support practitioners to better understand and provide resources and equitable opportunities to youth in their schools and communities. IEL wants to thank all participating schools and students who contributed to this guide. A special appreciation goes to the Annie E. Casey Foundation for their generous support and guidance of this work. The authors wish to thank José Muñoz, Joline Collins, Dr. Donnie Ray Hale, Jr., Ryan Hurley, Mia Perry and Christa Rowland for their quality reviews of the guide drafts and support for this work. Suggested Citation: Malone, H., Cheng, L., & Sheikh, S. (2022) . Youth voice in Community Schools: A practical guide to advance Community Schools strategies for youth voice, engagement, and leadership. Washington, DC: Institute for Educational Leadership, Coalition for Community Schools. Note: Adaptation, replication, reproduction, and/or modifications of either The Framework for Youth Voice, Engagement, and Leadership in Community School and the Process for Youth Engagement require prior written approval from the Institute for Educational Leadership. This research was funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc., and we thank them for their support; however, the findings and conclusions presented in this report are those of the author(s) alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Foundation. INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP • YOUTH VOICE IN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS 3 Table of Contents Acknowledgments ................................................................. 3 Preface ............................................................................5 About the Institute for Educational Leadership 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 5 About the Coalition for Community Schools 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 5 Purpose 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 6 About Community Schools 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 6 The Community School Standards 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 8 The Community Schools Research Agenda 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 9 How Conditions for Learning, Community School Standards, and the Community Schools Research Agenda Come Together in This Guide 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 10 Executive Summary ................................................................ 11 The State of the Field ..............................................................14 Positive Youth Development 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 14 Common Elements of Youth Engagement and Empowerment 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 16 Levels of Participation and Organizational and Cultural Readiness 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮

FAQs

What is the purpose of this guide on youth voice in Community Schools?

It examines youth voice, engagement, and leadership in Community Schools and illuminates practices from the field to support practitioners with resources and equitable opportunities.

How does the guide connect youth voice with Community School standards and learning conditions?

It explains how learning conditions, the Community School Standards, and the Community Schools Research Agenda come together to structure the guide’s approach.

What kinds of evidence does the guide draw on?

It includes findings from a national network survey and incorporates through lines from youth stories, along with implications for youth voice, engagement, and leadership in Community Schools.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sophia Brooks