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Adolescent Health: Youth Engagement

Youth Engagement Assessment Tool

The Youth Research and Evaluation eXchange (YouthREX) created the Youth Engagement Assessment Tool to help organizations rate their youth engagement practice and understand areas of strength and improvement. If you are a local or tribal health department working on the Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, this tool is being used in the adolescent well-being strategies.

Engaging Wisconsin Youth

Youth engagement is a key part of the Wisconsin Adolescent Health Program.

Assets Coming Together (ACT) for Youth defines youth engagement as:

The result when young people are involved in responsible, challenging actions to create positive social change. This means involving youth in planning and in making decisions that affect themselves and others. Youth engagement happens in youth-adult partnerships that are structured so that both groups contribute, teach, and learn from each other (2018).

Our youth engagement efforts include:

  • Funding our partner, Providers and Teens Communicating for Health (PATCH). PATCH Wisconsin is a collaboration of several PATCH sites located across the state! We're a group of youth and adults that believe programs and policies for youth should include youth. ​We encourage young people to raise their voices to create positive change, and have programs and resources to ​educate, engage, and empower others to do the sam​e.
  • Consulting with the PATCH Youth Advocates as our youth advisory board.
  • Supporting all Adolescent Health Program funded sites to implement youth engagement.
  • Partnering with other youth engagement efforts statewide.
  • Providing information and technical assistance to encourage everyone who works with adolescents to involve youth!

For more information on youth engagement and tools to get started, check out our Youth Engagement Toolkit! P-02250 (PDF)


Youth leaders from the PATCH Program define youth leadership this way:

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“Youth leadership is having a voice and giving other kids a voice that wouldn't be heard otherwise. It is making change and being aware of societal issues.”

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“Youth leadership is important because we are the next generation to take the world into our hands. We have a vital say in what happens to society and what we can do to help.”

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“Youth leadership is being at the forefront of important conversations regarding social change. Youth leadership is also giving youth the space to create change in their communities and ensuring that they recognize the value of their voices.”

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“A youth leader is a change-maker, paving the way for the future of their generation.”

Last revised July 20, 2023