The 3 Elements of Effective Youth-Adult Partnerships It taught me what I refer to today as the three elements of effective youth-adult partnerships. Their confidence in me as my adult partners strengthened my motivation to speak up and gave me the courage to respectfully disagree at times. That unique perspective was the value that I brought to the board. Harris and Carolyn reminded me that my voice and experience mattered, and that I was not only representing myself but youth and Communities of Promise all across the country.
We sat in a small café drafting community organizing strategies on the back of placemats and napkins. That changed when former PA Senator Harris Wofford and former SVP of Community Mobilization at America’s Promise Carolyn Berkowitz invited me to coffee after a board meeting. I listened intensely to every word spoken, soaking everything in and forming dozens of ideas in my head that I was too nervous to share out loud. I felt as though I was “a fish out of water” and had nothing of value to contribute to the team. The meeting was called to order and my confidence level shrank with each report presented. The whole board meeting experience was intimidating, from the expansive conference table and mic set-up to the security that ushered other members of the board into the room. I was newly elected to the board as a youth representative and the Executive Director of the country’s first youth-led Community of Promise in Pittsburgh, PA. My heart was thumping in my chest, my palms were sweaty, and my voice was shaky.
I remember walking into my first board meeting at America’s Promise at the age of 18.
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