About YVA

About Youth Voice Amplified

To give a platform for every young person to tell their story and create positive change around them. That’s the mission of Youth Voice Amplified Podcast, a project within the Homeless Education Services Program at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office.

Youth Voice Amplified lifts up the wisdom and insight of young people and what their testimonies and experiences tell us. Learn from personal stories, daily life, and challenges faced by youth who have gone through certain circumstances, such as homelessness, foster care, having a disability, being a teen parent, and more. This podcast is open to anyone but will be of particular relevance to those in education and youth-serving organizations. Our hope is that you will listen to our youth storytellers, learn from their first-hand experiences, and consider ways that you can implement changes to better meet their needs.

What is Youth Voice? 

Youth voice can mean many things but Youth Voice Amplified defines youth voice as the ideas, opinions, involvement, and initiative of people considered to be “young.” These voices often go unheard and/or involvement of this group has often been marginalized. Youth voice does not require adult acceptance or approval.

What is Lived Experience?

Lived experience is defined as “personal knowledge about the world gained through direct, first-hand involvement in everyday events rather than through representations constructed by other people.” It is also defined as “the experiences of people on whom a social issue or combination of issues has had a direct impact.”

How can I support the Youth Voice Amplified Podcast?

If you would like to support the show, please share it with others or post about it on your social media. You can also subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts and leave a positive rating and review. If you would like to ask us a question, recommend a topic, or suggest a guest, please email us at youthvoiceamplified@gmail.com.

Where can I learn more about youth voice?

In 2022, the Homeless Education Program within the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office was awarded the Homeless Innovative Programs (HIP) Grant from the California Department of Education to develop innovative practices that can be studied, adapted, and shared statewide, demonstrating the LEA’s implementation of the EHCY Program authorized by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The “Youth Voice Amplified” podcast is one of many projects under the Homeless Innovative Programs (HIP) grant.

You can find more information on youth voice strategies, including guides, materials, and video presentations at www.kern.org/hip.