YouthGo.gov

The Department of the Interior (DOI) supports and promotes youth involvement in the environment by working across bureaus within DOI to develop policies and programs that support youth engagement, collaborating with other federal departments and initiatives that support youth involvement in the great outdoors, and sharing information and resources through a youth-targeted website, YouthGo.gov.

The collaboration structure includes the following elements:

• Multiple collaborative groups focused on youth
• An office to coordinate youth involvement efforts and policy implementation alignment between offices and bureaus  
• A youth-focused website
• Involvement in federal collaborative initiatives focused on engaging youth in the great outdoors

Promising practices include the following:

• Establishing a three-pronged approach to promote youth involvement
• Designating an office to coordinate youth involvement efforts
• Utilizing youth feedback to guide the work
• Creating open communication across the DOI

The DOI has learned the following lessons from their collaborative work:

• It is important to adapt YouthGo.gov over time based on feedback and experience.
• While partners might have different missions and be accustomed to working alone, if common goals are identified it can help to unite the collaborative effort.

View additional resources for more information on the DOI’s efforts.