In 2007, a group of high school students from Olympia, the state capital of Washington, advised legislators to support the teaching of “scientifically accurate sexual education” in schools across the state. Historically, America has struggled to openly discuss the topic of sex. Nevertheless, the voices of these teenagers led to the passage of a bill the same year that granted students access to sexual education.
By 2011, just four years later, Washington State recorded its lowest teen pregnancy rate among females aged 15 to 17 (19 per 1,000) since tracking began in 1980. While increased access to family planning services clearly played a significant role in this positive trend, comprehensive sexual health education programs—especially those covering the use of contraceptives—were also effective strategies to prevent teen pregnancies.
Although the original bill had already been enacted, high school student Lilienne Shore Kilgore-Brown revived the issue in 2020. She traveled to Olympia to advocate for statewide comprehensive sexual education. Washington’s teen birth rates were lower than the national average, yet they were high compared to those in other developed countries and particularly pronounced in low-income communities.
As a result, the Washington State Legislature refined the bill, requiring each public school to provide comprehensive sexual health education by September 1, 2020. This education became an integral part of the curriculum for all students, regardless of their protected class status under the state civil rights act. The legislation further reinforced sexual attitudes based on the principles of affirmative consent, free from violence.
For many, this bill was not surprising. Predominantly a blue state, Washington has implemented some of the most progressive policies in the nation, including the legalization of assisted suicide, the recognition of same-sex relationships, the guarantee of paid sick leave for most workers, and stricter gun laws. However, policies concerning the youth such as the issue of teen pregnancy have emerged from the nonpartisan advice provided by a young advisory body, the Legislative Youth Advisory Council.
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Washington State established the first official nonpartisan Legislative Youth Advisory Council in 2005. This initiative aimed to promote youth involvement in the legislative process and followed the recommendation of 12-year-old Alex Jonlin, who was a semi-finalist for the Harvard Kennedy School’s Innovations in Government award. A state law recognized this youth council, which was initially set to expire in 2009 but has been re-authorized ever since. It is easy to see why.
Every day, the partisan tinnitus rings a little louder in US democracy. However, the Legislative Youth Advisory Council in Washington State has a unique nonpartisan structure. Each year, students aged 14 to 18 in Washington State can apply to become council members. They must respond to a series of questions in the application process, and based on their answers, the current members of the Legislative Youth Advisory Council and the Lieutenant Governor’s Office select a group of students. This selection process aims to include individuals from diverse political, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and students must pass an interview to secure a seat on the council.
Once elected, council members learn about the legislative process and the responsibilities of citizenship—an endeavor that, whether one likes it or not, we all are born into. They gain insights from diverse fashions of thoughts before engaging directly with the legislative process and making meaningful policy recommendations to the Legislature.
“We use a simple majority vote to reach a consensus on proposals or bills,” explained the council in a recent correspondence. “Consensus is essential because we establish a legislative agenda as a council rather than as individuals.”
Students must balance their duties on the council with their schoolwork and other extracurricular activities. After a full day, they meet over Zoom twice a week in the evenings. The council is organized into committees, including The Office of Legislative Affairs and The Office of Public Affairs, which meet bi-weekly on different days. During these meetings, tasks are assigned to members, who are responsible for completing them by specified deadlines. Depending on their additional responsibilities, members may also need to set up meeting times with legislators and allocate time for their work. Although time-consuming, this effort is necessary for understanding the complexities of the issues on which they advise, avoiding simplistic answers, and respecting the nuances of each situation.
As legislative sessions approach, the frequency of council meetings tends to increase, culminating in the annual “Action Day” event. On Action Day, the Office of Public Affairs in the Legislative Youth Advisory Council invites youth-led and youth-focused organizations to the Capitol. During this event, participants engage in civic engagement workshops, panel discussions, and various activities aimed at promoting statewide youth engagement and participation. The goal is to interact with community organizations and understand student priorities.
Throughout the year, the Council collaborates with nearly 200 youth community organizations, such as The League of Education Voters, STAND Washington, Washington State PTA, the 2023 Civic Health Summit, and other local groups. They participate in town halls and public forums to ensure up-to-date representation of the views of youth. Additionally, the Legislative Youth Advisory Council distributes surveys across the state to capture the needs of young people and organizes events that connect students with policymakers, allowing them to express their policy priorities.
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All these events serve as a foundation for civic education and democracy, especially in an era where teenagers increasingly live alone on their phones. Young people can voice their demands but are also asked to accept compromises and honor the concerns of others while pursuing their own—all this while the Legislative Youth Advisory Council works to inform itself on the multiple problems and choices that their legislators will confront. The collaborative approach enables the Council to form unbiased opinions and offer well-informed advice to lawmakers.
In 2021, the Legislative Youth Advisory Council in Washington State achieved notable success. The council attended 106 meetings with legislators and played a crucial role in passing eight significant pieces of legislation. These included a bill to provide necessary computers and devices for public school students and staff, ensuring that juveniles have access to attorneys when contacted by law enforcement, and prohibiting the inappropriate use of Native American names, symbols, or images as school mascots, logos, or team names. All these initiatives were based on nonpartisan recommendations and have proven to work best for the wellbeing of 1.6 million young Washingtonians.
Despite living in a highly polarized society, nonpartisanship needs to be consistently promoted everywhere until it becomes evident to young generations that it is worth engaging with local governments and policymakers. It is critical to recognize that no issue merits negative outcomes at the local level. Legislation at the city and state levels can create significant change, especially when federal policymakers are at daggers drawn with each other.
The adventure of democracy—striving for a “shared humanity”—depends on understanding opposing viewpoints rather than diminishing them. Ultimately, democracy is the “triumph” of us all, a collective achievement that fosters change for generations to come.
