ACT Youth Action Board
The Advocators for Community Transformation Youth Advisory Board (ACT YAB) is a group of youth and young adults with lived experience of homelessness and housing instability. Since launching in November 2021, members have used their experiences and voices to advocate for stronger resources, more equitable policies, and community-driven solutions to youth homelessness across Houston and Harris County.
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ACT YAB developed a Youth Housing Guide to help young people experiencing homelessness find housing, services, and other critical resources. Launched in June 2024, the guide continues to be shared with young people and community organizations throughout the Houston area.
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Today, ACT YAB members are expanding their advocacy to explore the systems and policies that impact housing stability, community safety, and young people's futures.
Members are examining climate resilience and flood mitigation efforts in Harris County, researching how infrastructure decisions affect their neighborhoods and elevating youth perspectives in conversations with community leaders and decision-makers. Their work focuses on ensuring future investments are equitable, transparent, and responsive to the needs of communities most impacted by flooding and climate challenges.
The YAB is also exploring the connection between housing instability, racial inequities, and youth involvement in the justice system. Through peer research, community outreach, and policy advocacy, members are identifying gaps in emergency housing, community resources, and juvenile justice diversion programs. By combining lived experience with research, they are developing community-rooted solutions that help young people remain safely housed and supported.
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ACT YAB is currently led by a core group of five young people who bring diverse experiences and perspectives to the work, including young parents, individuals with lived experience of housing instability, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Members balance their advocacy with careers, families, and other responsibilities while remaining committed to creating meaningful change.
The YAB welcomes young people who want to use their voices, experiences, and ideas to help build a more equitable and supportive community.
JJA Youth Action Board
The Juvenile Justice Advocacy Youth Advisory Board (JJA YAB) is a group of young adults committed to improving juvenile justice and criminal justice systems in their communities. The YAB creates a supportive, collaborative space where members can share their lived experiences, strengthen their leadership skills, and advocate for policies and practices that better support young people.
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JJA YAB members develop the skills and confidence to become leaders and advocates in their communities. Through leadership development, advocacy training, professional development, and social-emotional learning, members turn their lived experiences into opportunities to educate others, influence decision-makers, and advocate for young people impacted by the justice system.
Members are compensated for their active participation in eligible meetings, events, and projects, recognizing the value of their time, expertise, and lived experience.
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JJA YAB members are actively involved in advocacy, storytelling, community engagement, and systems-change efforts throughout Harris County.
Through Voices from the Margins, members are using storytelling and lived experience to raise awareness about the realities young people face within the juvenile justice system. Their work includes a documentary, community premiere, and youth summit designed to create opportunities for learning, conversation, and action.
Members also participate in the Youth Justice Transformation Cohort and What Happens When? campaign, working alongside community partners to advocate for more equitable approaches to youth justice. Through engagement with Harris County leaders, community members, and other decision-makers, JJA YAB helps ensure young people directly impacted by these systems have a voice in shaping solutions.
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JJA YAB brings together Houston-area young adults who are passionate about creating change and have lived experience with the juvenile or criminal justice system. Members participate in regular meetings, trainings, CA4Y programs, and community events while building leadership, advocacy, and professional skills.
The JJA YAB welcomes young adults ages 18–27 who are ready to use their experiences, ideas, and voices to help transform the systems that impact young people and their communities.
Voices from the Margins Documentary
Voices From the Margins is a documentary centering the stories, experiences, and leadership of young people impacted by the justice system in Houston. Through their own voices, young people share the realities of navigating these systems, the challenges they have overcome, and how advocacy, mentorship, and community have helped shape their journeys.
Join Collective Action for Youth for the premiere of Voices From the Margins on September 26, 2026 and experience these powerful stories firsthand. The evening will bring together young people, families, community partners, advocates, and supporters to celebrate the voices behind the film and continue the conversation about what a better future for youth justice can look like.