2026 Bridge Conference

Youth-adult partnership is often treated as the ultimate goal—but is it always the most appropriate way to work with youth? In alignment with the theme "The Art of Being Water," this interactive session invites participants to explore the fluidity of Hart’s Ladder of Youth Engagement. We will move beyond the rhetoric of "youth voice" to examine the full continuum of involvement, from adult-led to shared leadership. Through an experiential "gallery walk," participants will physically navigate the eight rungs of the ladder, identifying where their programs currently sit and how to move intentionally toward more authentic engagement. Drawing on field examples from Tacoma to the Pacific Islands, we will explore how to match challenge and responsibility to developmental readiness. Attendees will leave with a toolkit of reflective exercises and action plans to reduce tokenism and foster equitable, high-impact partnerships in their programs.