Young people as competent citizens

Young people are competent citizens who can create community change, but the media often emphasize troubled youth and the services they require. This paper reports on a national effort to increase youth participation in community‐based organizations in the United States. It provides cross‐site analysis of their issues and strategies, the impacts of participation and the factors that facilitate and limit the process. It concludes with observations about the changing context of youth participation and the participatory community‐based research methods needed to increase its understanding.