Many after-school programs face the challenge of keeping teens consistently engaged, often because traditional programs need more student input to help plan activities. However, programs that implement student voice initiatives see better results. When teens help choose and design activities, they’re more likely to participate regularly. Programs create more meaningful engagement opportunities by giving students leadership roles and letting them pitch their own ideas.
These student-led programs encourage students to grow, learn new skills, and make real connections outside the classroom. By giving students a real say, programs see more kids getting excited and showing up. When the students felt heard, they were way more motivated to get involved.
Below are three examples of programs giving students a voice. And by acknowledging that young people possess unique insights, the programs revolutionized their model, turning passive participants into active leaders who were deeply invested in their own development.
What Makes Student Voice Work?
Student voice initiatives work best when structured around a central theme or subject that connects ideas to action—at a Washington-based Boys & Girls Club, program directors learned to create structured opportunities for leadership, respecting young people’s perspectives while providing necessary guidance. The most effective approaches strike a balance between student autonomy and professional mentorship. Students get to turn their ideas into reality while staff curates an environment for them to take the reins. Effective teachers understand when to provide input and when to step back, helping teach confidence in problem-solving skills for students.
Implementation Framework
The Philadelphia Youth Network program positions itself on three foundational pillars that promote student engagement: multiple input channels; quick responses; and a focus on visible results form the core of their innovative approach. Their “3-30-90” is a system that offers comprehensive ways for students to share ideas through digital platforms, written submissions, and verbal discussions .
To stay organized, the organization uses: three (3) communication channels (digital, written, and verbal), they commit toresponding within 30 minutes , and implementing meaningful changes within 90 days. This approach helped amplify youth voices and enabled students to see their impact directly in the classroom and after school, reinforcing the concept of empowerment, participation, inclusion, and learning.
The results were incredibly positive. Program attendance grew 45% within six months, with students leading 60% of activities. This way of supporting the students shows them that their input is genuinely valued and can create meaningful change.
Staff was able to track every suggestion in a shared database from submission to completion. Students could check their ideas’ progress anytime, which built trust through transparency. This system showcased how student input helps a program, creating an environment of collaboration that values young people’s contributions and perspectives.
Measuring Success
The David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality empowers students to participate in program evaluation through their Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA) system. This evidence-based approach measures what matters to young people: their voice in programming, peer relationships, and community impact. The assessment tracks how student ideas become reality, measures peer support and leadership, and evaluates community connections. Data-driven approaches have improved both program quality and youth engagement across thousands of sites.
The Weikart Center’s methods have been adopted by over 4,000 sites nationwide, showing how youth voices can transform program evaluation and outcomes. Their system helps students track their progress, propose improvements, and use data to strengthen programs. Through their Youth Work Methods Training, staff learn to engage youth in meaningful program assessment and improvement processes, making young people true partners in their own development. This approach has created a model for how programs can authentically integrate youth voice into every aspect of program evaluation and improvement.
Moving Forward
The Weikart Center’s research shows that programs using their youth-centered assessment approach significantly improve quality and engagement. Their network of over 4,000 sites demonstrates how giving young people a voice in evaluation leads to stronger programs. When students help measure success, they become more invested in the outcomes. The evidence-based results show that involving youth in program assessment creates more effective, engaging after-school experiences.
Through youth-centered evaluation methods, programs learn how student leadership strengthens outcomes. Students develop evaluation and leadership skills, staff learn to facilitate youth-driven assessment, and programs build sustainable improvement processes. The path to stronger programs starts with giving students a voice in measuring and defining success.
