Generation to Generation: Shaping Children’s Futures inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping children in the various legal systems in which they interact.

Through our Street Law and other programs in which we dealt directly with system-involved youth, we heard a common refrain:

“Nobody talks with us or listens to us. They just talk at us.”

It was hearing statements like this from young people that made us want to make sure children have a voice. It had us start Generation to Generation to encourage generations to listen to each other. It is in this way that we believe we can make the world better for children. Providing children with a voice builds their self-esteem, confidence, and a sense of belonging. Better programs can be developed to meet the needs of children if we listen to their concerns and interests. Children have a good sense of what they need. By encouraging youth to talk about their needs and experiences, they are more likely to stand up for themselves and speak out against injustice. They grow into adults who advocate for themselves and their communities.

“Nobody listens to us – not our lawyer, not the judge, not the people taking care of us. Nobody cares what we have to say.”

Our goal is not merely to create programs for children and youth, but to build them with children — listening to their voices, valuing their experiences, and involving them directly in shaping solutions that affect their lives.

“If my lawyer would just come and talk to me, I might understand what is going on.”

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) outlines human rights that should be promised to all children around the world. One of the most important rights outlined is the right for children to have a voice in matters that concern them. This includes health care, education, and justice decisions, among others. Even though the United States remains the only country that has not ratified the Convention, it is still important for children to be heard and listened to in the U.S.