5 Field-Tested Practices for Embedding Youth Insight | In Tandem

Getting direct insight from young people isn’t just good practice in developing products, programs, or policies.  It’s often what makes the difference between something that sticks and something that falls flat. When teams skip that step, they risk building solutions that misfire, go unused, or erode trust with the very audiences they’re trying to serve.Still, knowing how to bring youth perspectives into the work at the right time, with the right structure,  isn’t always straightforward. Teams often struggle with unclear methods, narrow participant pools, or feedback that’s too late to shift direction.

At In Tandem, we’ve worked across sectors to help organizations source and apply youth insight in ways that are timely, actionable, and built for real-world decision making. Here are five field-tested practices to help you embed youth perspectives into what you're building, so your next launch, pilot, or rollout is grounded in the experiences that matter most.

P.S. If you want the details on compliance, privacy, compensation, recruitment and more, check out Center for Digital Thriving's Youth Voice Playbook!

1. Set the conditions for useful participation

If you want meaningful insight, start with a space where young people can show up as themselves. That means lowering friction, being intentional about adult youth dynamics, and designing participation that works in real life. Not just on paper.

• Use plain, direct language. Skip the jargon. Clear, conversational communication sets the tone for honest input and avoids putting young people on the defensive.
• Design for flexibility. School, work, and home life do not follow your schedule. Offer remote options, asynchronous input, and low-lift ways to participate that don’t compete with core responsibilities.
• Add scaffolding. Assign a consistent point of contact or mentor. A little structure goes a long way in helping young people feel grounded, especially in longer-term or more complex projects.
• Pay for what you're asking. Compensation isn’t just ethical, it’s strategic. Fair pay increases reliability and signals respect. 
  

Take this with you: A strong setup isn’t fluff.  It is what makes honest, usable insight possible. If participation feels like a favor, the feedback will too.

2. Be clear about what you're asking...and why

Vague invitations lead to vague input. If you want insight that is usable, be clear about the work, where young people fit, and what decisions their contributions will inform.

• Define roles and boundaries. Be explicit about what you are asking youth to weigh in on and what is already set. Clarity builds trust and helps avoid token participation.
• Name the purpose. Make it obvious how their input connects to the bigger picture. Are they shaping a feature? Stress-testing an idea? Sense-making data? Knowing this gives their contributions weight.
• Share the plan. Even a simple roadmap helps. Outline the steps and timelines, and where youth will plug in. Structure makes participation less intimidating and more productive.

Take this with you: Young people don’t need handholding. They need context. The clearer you are, the stronger the insight you will get.

3. Build trust before you expect honesty

You cannot shortcut trust. Without it, most feedback stays surface-level. If you want real insight, create the conditions where young people can say what they actually think.

• Create low-pressure entry points. Use formats that allow for anonymous input, warm-ups, or async feedback early on. Not everyone wants to share in the moment or on camera.
  
• Show that all ideas count. Make it visible when input leads to action. When it doesn’t, explain why. That transparency builds credibility and keeps the loop open
  
• Welcome questions. Curiosity is a two-way street. Make space for youth to ask questions about the project, the team, or the why behind decisions. It reinforces that the conversation is generative, not transactional.

Take this with you: Insight depends on honesty, and honesty depends on whether people feel like their input matters.

4. Make it worthwhile for them, too

If youth are helping you build something real, their experience should be real too. Offering growth opportunities isn’t charity, it’s how you turn participation into a two-way value-exchange.

• Offer light-touch upskilling. Whether it’s a quick overview of the project brief or a hands-on session about giving feedback, a little context goes a long way toward helping youth contribute meaningfully and confidently.
• Give credit where it counts. Acknowledgment doesn’t have to be performative. Highlight youth contributions in reports, presentations, or showcases that they can reference later.
• Connect it to what’s next. Help youth articulate what they’re learning, building, or leading through this experience. It boosts confidence and gives them language they can use in school, work, or future opportunities.

Take this with you: When young people walk away with more than they walked in with, they’re more likely to invest. And return.

5. Design for energy, not just attendance

Keeping young people involved over time is not about constant check-ins or bigger incentives.it’s about pacing the work in a way that respects their time, interests, and capacity. Burnout doesn’t just lead to dropoff,it reduces the quality of insight you get.

• Check in with purpose. Use quick, lowlift check-ins to spot friction early. Whether it’s scheduling stress, misaligned tasks, or loss of interest. These conversations show you’re paying attention and open to course correcting.
• Match tasks to motivation, while stretching perspective. Let youth opt into roles that align with their interests or strengths, but create space to rotate or explore less familiar areas. This helps avoid insight gaps and reduces the risk of hearing only from the most confident or vocal contributors.
• Build in breathing room. Long-term projects need pauses. Breaks, shorter commitments, or reflection points can help youth recharge while giving you a chance to recalibrate.
  

Take this with you: Sustainable participation comes from thoughtful pacing. When you respect young people’s time and energy, they’ll bring more of both.

Put youth insight to work, where it matters most

Integrating youth perspectives into product, program, or policy development isn’t just about gathering feedback. It’s about stress-testing ideas, avoiding blind spots, and building things that hold up in the real world.

With clear expectations, thoughtful design, and the right support, teams can move beyond transactional conversations toward generative insights that drive decisions.

Abbie Wyatt-McGill is Director of Business Development at In Tandem, a nonprofit platform that helps teams safely and easily gather actionable insight from young people on the products, programs, and policies being built for them.