A Guide to Applying Youth Voice provides practical strategies for elevating youth voice through Youth Advisory Councils (YACs) — groups of young people who offer insight and leadership on programs that affect them. Created by the National Mentoring Resource Center (NMRC), the guide outlines how organizations can meaningfully involve youth in decision making, strengthen program design, and build structures that ensure young people are active partners rather than passive participants. 

Launched in 2014, NMRC offers no-cost tools, training, and technical assistance to mentoring programs nationwide. Its Youth Advisory Council, formed in 2021, is composed of young leaders who bring lived experience as mentees and peer mentors to help shape mentoring practices.