Kentucky Youth Advocates

For Kids and Youth

Kentucky Youth Advocates supports kids and youth learning about public policy and their role as citizens. Understanding of the advocacy process and involvement in community is essential for our children. Youth have a unique voice and are in a special position to help affect change. By learning about the legislative process and getting involved, kids learn about their special responsibilities and rights as citizens as wel as their ability to inform, persuade, and influence policy. In return, youth gain a better understanding of democracy, greater knowledge about the issues facing our communitiesand develop leadership skills.

The role of a youth advocate is in important when gaining grassroots support. Last year KYA met with over 1,200 high school students from all over the state discussing Graduated Driver’s Licensing. Legislators were especially interested in hearing what youth said about Graduated Driver’s Licensing. That is why KYA wants Kentucky’s youth to get out and a make a difference. Your opinions and ideas really do count!

Here are few things you can do to help forward policy discussions.

Educate Yourself on the Issues

KYA advocates for youth in the following areas: economic well-being, education, immigrant and refugee youth, tax and budget, health and safety, juvenile justice and youth development.

Recruit Your Friends to Get Involved

Youth are the future of Kentucky and the support of youth is one of the most critical components in passing legislation. Legislators need to hear from teens so they know how to make Kentucky the best place for youth to live and grow. So after you have educated yourself on the issues, it’s time to recruit and motivate your friends to get involved.

There are several ways you can get your friends and fellow students involved in advocating for Kentucky's youth. A good place to start is with the groups in which you are already involved, such as Key Club, Student Council, National Honor Society, etc.

Plan a letter writing party. Pick a date; provide paper, envelopes, and stamps; put on some music and have food; share key points to include in the letter; set up access to a computer so people can look up their legislators.
Schedule a presentation for a group at your school. Get a group together and share information on the proposed graduated driver’s license. Encourage those who attend to write or call their legislator.
Organize a group of students to attend Children’s Day at the Capitol. People interested in issues affecting children and teens will meet at the Capitol. Register for the event, schedule a time for your group to meet with your legislators, and check out the other tips for making the day a productive one.
Get the word out at school. Write a column for your school newspaper. If your school has a daily news broadcast, talk to the coordinators about covering the topic on the news. KYA can help you out with this as well.

Recruit Your Parents to Get Involved

Legislators listen to registered voters. Encouraging your parents to contact their legislators about important youth issues is critical. Talk to your parents about issues that are a concern or growing problem for teens in Kentucky. This will help your parents when voicing their opinion to their legislator. Encourage grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, and coaches to call, write, or email legislators.

Here are some ways you can ask them to get involved:

Before the session, ask them to meet with their legislator or call and talk with them about why they support graduated driver’s license legislation. Check out the Legislative Research Commission's website for contact information.
During the session, they can call 1-800-372-3181 and leave a message for their legislator to support graduated driver’s licensing.
At any time, supporters can write a letter to their legislator. Click here to see a sample letter that your parent can use.

Complete the Legislative Checklist

Contact your state senator and/or representative and talk to them about issues that interest you prior to the Legislative Session, which begins on January 2, 2007. Representatives and Senators get extremely busy during the session, so contact them now, before they get too busy. DO follow-up with your senator and/or representative during the session. If you can’t speak with them personally, leave a message telling them about your concern. Even the little things count. Here is a checklist you can follow:

Invite your legislator to your school group/club meeting to discuss an issue important to you.
Call your legislator at 1-800-372-7181.
Send your legislator a letter.

If you write a letter to your legislator, you may receive a phone call from him/her. Talking or meeting with your legislator can be daunting. A lot of times, even professional advocates forget important information when they are talking with their legislator. These legislators won’t expect you to know all of the details about your issue, but they are more likely to listen to you if know a little information about the issue.