Summit County Continuum of Care
Youth Advisory
Board
To prevent and end homelessness amongst youth of all races, ethnicities, gender expressions, and abilities. The Youth Advisory Board (YAB) educates, advocates, and develops partnerships.
Our Mission & Vision
Our Vision is to prevent and end homelessness amongst youth of all races, ethnicities, gender expressions, and abilities. The Youth Advisory Board (YAB) educates, advocates, and develops partnerships.
Our Mission is to utilize the lived experiences of the homeless and formerly homeless youth of Summit County in providing guidance and leadership; to advocate for those without a voice in the processes and practices that directly impact youth; to collaborate with others on youth-driven solutions that empower us to exercise our rights, to utilize community resources, and to bring issues dealing with youth housing instability and its effects to the public eye.
The Goal
The Membership
Youth who have experienced homelessness, or who have lived experience, are emancipated, or have aged out of the foster care system.
The Meetings
The YAB meets the last Thursday of each month. Our meeting location and times are listed on our calendar located on this site.
The Philosophy
YAB members are viewed as experts and meetings are youth-led and organized. Young adults should have the freedom and agency to be the leaders of their own lives. Nothing should be done for us that is not done by us. The YAB informs community decision-makers about the needs of homeless youth.
YAB members develop policies and procedures plan recruitment and advocacy efforts as well as to share updates regarding local youth housing services. YAB members participate in the monitoring and evaluation of existing youth programs.
True progress is dependent upon full participation and leadership of youth and young adults with lived experience. Honest partnership means that youth and young adults become fully involved in planning, development, action, reflection, evaluation, and follow-up to end youth homelessness.
End youth homelessness
Youth Advisory Board is a group who fights to end homelessness in Summit County by making organizations and policymakers listen to us to make things better for all of us. We need everyone – youth with the lived experience of not knowing where you’re going to stay, who have runaway and been homeless, who have aged out of foster care or who have emancipated. By coming together and sharing our stories we can get people to listen, and push for changes that can make our lives better.
