By Shelly Khaled, Head of Programmes, Let Me Know (LMK)
International Youth Day, celebrated every 12 August, is a global moment recognising the experiences and voices of young people around the world. The 2025 theme — “Youth advancing multilateral cooperation through technology and partnerships” highlights how youth-led innovation and collaboration can drive change.
At LMK, we see this every day in how young people shape the way we deliver education on healthy and unhealthy relationships. Through our Youth Advisory Board (YAB), young peoples’ lived experiences directly inform everything we create – from our 10 signs healthy/unhealthy relationship framework to creative delivery methods like short film, theatre warm-ups, and interactive discussion tools.
Our diverse YAB members reflect the communities we serve, which is critical in a landscape that’s evolving so quickly. It’s their insight and lived experience that keep our content and approach relevant, inclusive and grounded in real life.
Why youth voice matters in relationship education
Genuinely embedding youth voice and participation has the potential to make a profound difference in programme impact – and here’s what happens when youth voice is taken seriously:
- Authenticity & relevance
When young people co-create content, it lands differently. Youth-led insight ensures our sessions reflect the real language, challenges, and platforms young people are dealing with. For educators and youth workers, this means your relationship education is more relatable, engaging, and effective.
- Building empowerment & confidence
Our YAB members help shape campaigns, co-develop resources, and even co-deliver workshops with LMK facilitators. This gives them a real sense of agency — and builds leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills they’ll use for life.
- Better outcomes in learning and behaviour
When youth voice shapes what we teach, it’s not only more relevant — it’s more applicable. LMK’s sessions help young people recognise early red flags like coercive control, emotional manipulation, or digital abuse. They also learn to set boundaries and seek support — for themselves and others.
Key takeaways for educators & youth workers
If you’re not sure where to start with genuinely embedding youth voice into your organisation, here are some key pointers:
- Involve youth from the start. Inviting youth participation early ensures greater relevance and impact.
- Ensure your youth representation reflects the communities you serve. A truly impactful Youth Advisory Board must be inclusive – bringing in young people from a range of ethnicities, gender identities, socio-economic backgrounds, and neurodivergent experiences.
- Use language and media that reflect their world. From slang to social platforms, youth-led content connects because it feels real. If you want engagement, start by speaking their language, without compromising safeguarding procedures and professional boundaries
- Embed youth insights into strategy. Youth Advisory Boards can help by providing feedback, and by shaping planning, delivery, and evaluation. Give them a seat at the decision-making table.
- Support skill-building alongside participation to help consult as well as equip. Helping young people develop skills in advocacy, analysis, and public speaking creates ripple effects far beyond your programme. These experiences build leadership skills and governance experience for the young people involved that helps build equity.
Final thoughts
For educators and youth workers, embedding youth voice is essential to meaningful, effective education. You don’t need to overhaul everything. Start small – invite young people to shape one session, suggest one idea, or co-deliver one workshop.
Then keep listening. Because when young people are empowered to lead, which improves our programmes and transforms lives.