Dear friends,
Have you read this piece by Anthony Tilghman? He argues that youth voices should be mandatory in political spaces where decisions are being made - and I couldn’t agree more.
Here at IGNITE, we believe proximity to social problems should be a key criterion for proximity to power. And as Tilghman explains so well, young people’s everyday lived experiences qualify them for leadership.
“Experience is not just something gained over decades,” Tilghman writes. “It’s also lived daily by the 14-year-old facing housing insecurity, or the 19-year-old leading a climate strike… These experiences deserve weight in decision-making rooms.”
Tilghman points to access as the issue preventing young people from maximizing their political influence - not a lack of passion. He cites research from CIRCLE at Tufts University, with whom IGNITE collaborates on our research. CIRCLE reports that communities that integrate youth in decision-making see greater civic engagement, improved school attendance, and more equitable policy outcomes.
For fifteen years, IGNITE has worked to mitigate/eliminate barriers to political engagement and hand the
microphone to young women and gender-expansive youth.
For example, our youth-led policy advisory groups design and lead statewide legislative advocacy and civic engagement efforts. In Texas, members organized voter activation efforts to encourage higher turnout for local elections, and collaborated with our University of Texas El Paso chapter to advocate for menstrual equity.
In addition to leading IGNITE the Capitol Sacramento in April 2025 (read more about the day here), our California advisory group members testified at various committee hearings to advocate for greater access to higher education. Participants know the issues that matter to them - they just need us to give them the training and resources to make their voices heard.
If you agree that decision-making spaces must incorporate young voices, then you’re in the right community. Create space for the young people in your life to speak up, encourage them to do so, and keep an eye on this space for more opportunities to get involved.
Onward,
Sara Guillermo, IGNITE CEO