Across Mississippi, a new generation of thinkers, dreamers, and doers is emerging—young people who are not only aware of the state’s economic, educational, and social challenges but are also ready to help shape the solutions. Yet, despite their energy and insight, Mississippi’s youth are often left out of the rooms where decisions are made. In a state with some of the nation's starkest disparities in health, education, and economic opportunity—especially in regions like the Mississippi Delta—young people are not just the future; they are the present. Including them in policy conversations is not only logical, it’s necessary.
Mississippi ranks among the lowest in key areas such as education outcomes, health care access, and economic mobility. These issues disproportionately affect young people—especially those in rural and underserved communities—making them uniquely positioned to offer grounded perspectives on what’s working and what’s not. By inviting youth into the policymaking process through advisory councils, legislative internships, and grassroots-organizing partnerships, state leaders can tap into lived experiences that are often overlooked in bureaucratic decision-making. For example, students can provide insight into how standardized testing impacts mental health, how food insecurity affects their school performance, or why many young people choose to leave the state in search of better opportunities.
Youth participation in policy doesn't mean handing over the reins of government—it means creating formal and informal spaces for collaboration. This could include creating Youth Legislative Days at the Capitol, where students from across the state propose ideas and present them to lawmakers. Public school boards could establish youth advisory committees to ensure policies reflect student needs. Universities and community colleges could be incentivized to host public policy incubators where students research and present solutions to real-time problems. These initiatives don’t just empower youth—they also educate legislators and foster bipartisan dialogue built on shared investment in Mississippi’s future.
When youth voices are genuinely included in policy conversations, transformative change is possible. Consider education: students can identify curriculum gaps, offer feedback on culturally relevant material, and advocate for equitable funding. In health policy, youth can discuss mental health needs, sexual health education, and access to reproductive care. On voting and civic engagement, young Mississippians can advise on barriers to youth voter turnout and design strategies to improve registration and participation. Their firsthand insight could lead to stronger, smarter, more inclusive legislation.
The benefits of youth inclusion go beyond better policies. It builds a stronger democracy. When young people are trusted with power and responsibility, they are more likely to stay civically engaged, run for office, volunteer in their communities, and hold public institutions accountable. It nurtures leadership early, creating a pipeline of passionate, informed change-makers who understand their communities from the inside out. In a state like Mississippi—where the population is aging and young people are leaving in droves—this could be the key to reversing brain drain and revitalizing local economies.
If legislators embraced this collaboration, Mississippi could become a national leader in youth-informed governance. The state would signal that it values all of its citizens—not just as future workers or voters, but as full participants in shaping society today. For the Mississippi Delta and other regions often overlooked in mainstream political discourse, this shift could mean policies that reflect lived realities, budgets that prioritize the underserved, and a generation of leaders who are both homegrown and heard.
