People under age 25 are the ideal spokespeople to raise concerns about the well-being of children and youth in North Carolina.  You know what works in your community and what doesn’t.  You know how children and youth feel.  You know what children and youth are worried about.  The best way to start being a champion for children and youth is to learn by doing. 

Now is your chance to speak up and speak out!

Voting is not the only opportunity you have to get involved. You can also contact your local, state and federal leaders about issues that matter to you. You can participate in (or even host) community forums, testify in front of the county commission or state legislature and talk to newspaper and broadcast reporters.

Action for Children needs your help locally to bring issues affecting children and youth to the forefront.  Keep us posted on your work and how we can assist you with your research and data needs.  Together let’s shape the future of our state!

What Does Being a Champion for Children Mean? 

It means identifying the issues of most importance to the children in your community and in our state.  It means developing a plan for addressing those issues locally and/or at the state level.  It takes building relationships and community allies who agree with you.  It means speaking up and/or taking action to solve a problem or issue you want addressed.  It also means monitoring and assessing what you have done to see how effective your actions were.

There are a wide range of ways to make a difference, from presenting to local officials at public hearings and school board meetings, to writing letters to your legislators, to circulating a petition, to voting.  The possibilities for getting involved and speaking up for children and youth are endless. The first step to success is just giving it a shot!

Visit the Speak Up: Take Action! section of our Young Advocates Toolkit for templates for how to craft a strong letter to your newspaper’s editor or to your legislator directly, as well as instructions for how to phone your elected officials and participate in meetings at which they may be present.  As a further guide to help you get started, we’ve provided you with some sample questions to ask people running for public office, to ensure that children and youth are a top-of-mind priority in their legislative agenda.

The legislative process can be tricky, but don’t let that intimidate you. Simply focus on an issue or, better yet, a particular piece of legislation; get to know your lawmaker and his or her values; keep your pulse to the timing of when decisions will be made; and then speak out!