Want to Keep Kids From Skipping School? These Teens Have Some Ideas

If you’re looking to solve problems that affect teenagers, you could do worse than asking teenagers themselves for some advice.

That’s the whole idea behind the Youth Justice Board, a project of New York’s Center for Court Innovation. Every year, the YJB recruits a group of about 20 New Yorkers between the ages of 14 and 18. In the first year of a two-year cycle, the students dig into an issue of particular relevance to youth and the justice system. Then they come up with recommendations, write a report, and work to get their suggestions implemented. In past years, the YJB has looked into reducing youth crime, safety in public schools, and improving the way the courts deal with foster children. In the second year, students work to implement the recommendations.