TEAM 7

Youth need to change the system by having their voices heard. They need to inform the population of the issues from their perspective and to propose solutions to these issues. Only when we have input from youth can we work together, as a country, to contribute to the demise of child poverty. Youth need to involve youth of diverse backgrounds (privileged and under-privileged), as these youth are our country's future doctors, plumbers, computer programmers, politicians, and much more. It is our life and we can make it better.

· We recommend that we go back to our communities and organize groups of youth leaders within high schools and junior high schools to start a reading program with elementary children. This will promote interaction and common goals between youth of different ages and backgrounds. It is youth helping youth. In so doing, we are raising awareness of child poverty issues among youth as well as developing leadership skills.

 

TEAM 8

As youth, we are going through problems in the system, so we are the ones who know how to change it, and should therefore be included in the process of change.

· We recommend that we, the youth, communicate with people around us, with other organizations and with people of higher power that, "We, the youth, are going through the system and should be involved in changing it."

 TEAM 9

All children should have the opportunity to be both respected and heard.

· We recommend that youth get involved in order to make their ideas heard.