Youth Advisory Board Member (Volunteer)

Youth Advisory Board Member (Volunteer)

PromiseRise | Youth Leadership, Voice & Future Readiness

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromiseRise

Board: Youth Advisory Board

Location: Remote with NYC-based opportunities as available

Type: Volunteer Youth Leadership & Advisory Role

Commitment: Approximately 2–4 hours per month

Term: 1-year term preferred

Works Closely With: PromiseRise Leadership, Youth Advisory Board Chair, MAP Program Leaders, Executive Leadership, and fellow Youth Advisory Board Members

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit supporting children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, education, social-emotional learning, creative expression, career exploration, and community-centered opportunity.

MAP believes young people should not simply participate in programs designed by adults. They should have meaningful opportunities to shape, question, improve, and influence the programs and decisions that affect young people.

About PromiseRise

PromiseRise is MAP’s youth leadership, career readiness, pathways, and opportunity division.

PromiseRise helps young people develop the skills, confidence, experiences, relationships, and exposure needed to imagine and pursue their futures.

The Youth Advisory Board is housed within PromiseRise because youth leadership is itself a form of development: young people learn to communicate ideas, collaborate, advocate, solve problems, exercise judgment, and participate meaningfully in organizational decision-making.

About the Youth Advisory Board

MAP’s Youth Advisory Board creates a structured space for young people to bring their voices, ideas, experiences, questions, and perspectives directly into the organization.

This is not a ceremonial board.

Members will help MAP understand what young people think about its programs, opportunities, communications, creative projects, and priorities—and what MAP could do differently or better.

We want young people involved early enough to help shape ideas, not simply asked for feedback after decisions have already been made.

Role Overview

Mentor A Promise is seeking thoughtful, curious, creative, and engaged young people to serve as Youth Advisory Board Members.

Members will participate in discussions, review selected initiatives, propose ideas, identify issues affecting young people, and provide recommendations directly to MAP.

You do not need previous leadership experience.

You do not need to be the loudest person in the room.

You do not need to have all the answers.

We are looking for young people willing to think, participate, listen, learn, ask questions, and share what they believe.

Who Can Apply

The Youth Advisory Board is designed for young people within MAP’s youth-serving age range of 5–18, with participation opportunities structured appropriately by age and developmental level.

MAP may establish age-specific groups, activities, or meeting formats to ensure participation is meaningful, developmentally appropriate, and accessible.

Opportunities may be available to both young people participating in MAP programs and other eligible young people from the broader community, depending on the Board’s current membership needs and capacity.

MAP seeks a Board representing different:

• Ages
• Interests
• Experiences
• Schools and communities
• Personalities
• Talents
• Perspectives
• Ways of thinking and communicating

Selection will not depend on grades, professional experience, polished resumes, or previous leadership titles.

What You’ll Do

Youth Advisory Board Members may:

• Participate in Youth Advisory Board meetings and discussions.
• Share ideas about how MAP can better serve and engage young people.
• Provide feedback on programs, workshops, events, and opportunities.
• Recommend new activities, resources, projects, and initiatives.
• Help identify issues affecting young people that MAP should better understand.
• Review selected youth-facing materials and communications.
• Help MAP understand what makes programs welcoming, relevant, engaging, and accessible.
• Participate in brainstorming and problem-solving sessions.
• Collaborate with other young people on special projects.
• Help develop youth-led initiatives when appropriate.
• Present recommendations to MAP leadership.
• Help identify ways MAP can strengthen youth participation throughout the organization.

From Youth Voice to Action

Asking young people for their opinions is not enough.

MAP will work to create a clear feedback-to-action process for the Youth Advisory Board.

When members make significant recommendations, MAP will seek to:

1. Listen — Give members meaningful opportunities to explain their ideas.
2. Consider — Ensure appropriate organizational leaders review recommendations.
3. Respond — Tell members what was decided and, when appropriate, why.
4. Act — Implement recommendations when they are feasible, appropriate, and aligned with MAP’s responsibilities.
5. Report Back — Show members how their ideas influenced programs, policies, communications, or other organizational decisions.

Not every recommendation will be implemented. MAP leadership retains responsibility for legal, financial, safeguarding, personnel, governance, and organizational decisions.

But young people should not be left wondering:

“Did anyone actually listen?”

When possible, we will close that loop.

Leadership & Professional Development

Youth Advisory Board membership is also an opportunity to develop skills in:

• Leadership
• Communication
• Public speaking
• Teamwork
• Advocacy
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving
• Creative thinking
• Project development
• Community engagement
• Giving and receiving feedback
• Professional communication
• Meeting participation

PromiseRise will help members understand how advisory boards and nonprofit organizations work while providing opportunities to practice leadership in a real organizational environment.

Lived Experience & Personal Privacy

MAP recognizes that young people with lived experience of housing instability may bring important perspectives to our work.

However, no Youth Advisory Board Member will ever be expected to disclose their housing circumstances, trauma, family experiences, mental health information, or other private information in order to participate or contribute.

Members determine what personal experiences, if any, they are comfortable sharing.

A young person’s perspective has value without requiring them to tell their private story.

Safeguarding & Youth Protection

MAP is committed to creating a safe, respectful, and developmentally appropriate Youth Advisory Board.

Participation will follow applicable organizational requirements regarding:

• Parent or guardian permission where required
• Youth assent
• Privacy and confidentiality
• Digital communication
• Adult-youth boundaries
• Transportation for applicable in-person activities
• Photography, recording, and media
• Accessibility and inclusion
• Appropriate supervision
• Safeguarding and youth protection

Youth Advisory Board Members will not be expected to provide counseling, investigate concerns, manage crises, or assume responsibilities that belong to adults or trained professionals.

What Success Looks Like

Success does not mean young people always agree with MAP.

Success means a young person feels comfortable saying:

“I have another idea.”

“I don’t think that would work.”

“What about young people who experience this differently?”

“Here’s what I would change.”

And MAP listens.

Success also means members can see evidence that their participation matters: ideas are documented, recommendations reach the appropriate leaders, decisions are communicated back, and youth perspectives contribute to visible improvements.

Over time, youth voice should become part of how MAP thinks, designs, evaluates, learns, and grows.

Commitment

• Approximately 2–4 hours per month
• 1-year term preferred
• Regular participation in Youth Advisory Board meetings
• Preparation for meetings when materials are provided
• Respectful participation and collaboration
• Communication when unable to attend
• Participation in applicable orientation and safeguarding processes

MAP will work to structure participation around the realities of young people’s school schedules, family responsibilities, extracurricular activities, rest, and well-being.

What You’ll Gain

• Real-world youth leadership and advisory experience
• Opportunity to influence programs and initiatives affecting young people
• Experience communicating ideas to nonprofit and organizational leaders
• Leadership, teamwork, advocacy, and problem-solving skills
• Opportunities to develop and present your own ideas
• Exposure to nonprofit organizations, careers, and community leadership
• Opportunities to collaborate with other young leaders
• Mentorship and professional-development opportunities
• Service recognition and, where appropriate, letters of recommendation based on meaningful participation

How to Apply

Interested young people will complete a short Youth Advisory Board application focused on questions such as:

• Why would you like to join the Youth Advisory Board?
• What is something you would like to improve for young people in your school or community?
• What ideas, interests, talents, or perspectives would you like to bring?
• What would you like to learn or accomplish during your time on the Board?

No professional resume is required.

We are interested in potential, perspective, curiosity, creativity, commitment, and willingness to contribute.

Why Your Voice Matters

Adults can study data.

We can conduct research.

We can design programs.

We can hold meetings about what young people need.

But none of those things replaces listening to young people themselves.

The Youth Advisory Board gives young people a meaningful place in conversations that affect them—not as symbols or participants brought in after the fact, but as contributors, thinkers, creators, advisors, and emerging leaders.

Your voice matters before you have a title, a degree, or a career.

Bring your ideas. Ask difficult questions. Challenge our thinking. Help shape what comes next.