Good Trouble
Youth Saving Learning TM
Embedded Files
Good Trouble is a youth-led movement advancing nonviolent organizing as a daily practice of democracy. We work to ensure every young person experiences belonging, purpose, and power — and that schools and communities become places where youth can lead, influence decisions, and shape a better future.
Our work is grounded in three core beliefs:
1) Youth are key source to the solution. They are not the problem.
2) Everyone has a unique gift to give. We, the public, need these gifts now more than ever.
3) We must put aces in places – to discover, honor and position youth gifts to solve real-world problems.
"Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble."
"Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble."
REP. JOHN LEWIS | 1940-2020
Civil Rights Leader and Congressman
OUR APPROACH
Good Trouble’s unique gift is activating youth-led nonviolent organizing to transform schools, communities, and democracy itself. We help young people lead a three-step process we call Youth Saving Learning, where they listen to their peers, make sense of what they hear, and take action with adults to improve belonging, purpose, and power across their schools and communities.
Through this approach, youth become organizers and problem-solvers — and adults become partners in building the conditions young people need to thrive. Together, they redesign systems, strengthen relationships, and move their communities toward meaningful change.
Our movement grows through students, families, educators, and community members who host youth-led sessions, support action teams, and advance the solutions identified through ourYouth Saving Learning process.
This is how young people reshape the systems around them — and help democracy become something we practice, not just promise.
Rooted in the tradition of John Lewis and the six steps of nonviolent action, our three pillar Youth Saving Learning model modernizes this legacy for today’s schools and communities.
YOUTH-LED LISTENING
Authentic student-led focus groups that generate actionable insight
Rooted in Information & Education
COLLECTIVE SENSEMAKING
Youth and adults make meaning together and commit to change
Rooted in Commitment & Negotiation
MAKING GOOD TROUBLE
Youth and adults act together to shift practices, culture, and policy
Rooted in Direct Action & Reconciliation
OUR WORK
State of the Youth
On March 27, 2025, Good Trouble hosted the first State of the Youth event in Minnesota that brought together 200 participants composed of students, young adults, school, district and nonprofit leaders, elected officials and policymakers to hear from youth leaders about the state of the youth and their vision for the future. The time to listen and trust youth is now!
Previous Work
Previous Work
Hosted Youth Justice Community Forum in partnership with Hennepin County Attorney's Office and Legal Rights Center. Panelists included Hennepin County Attorney and Head of DOJ's youth justice office
Co-led November 2023 Youth Policy Forum at MN Capitol engaging 70 youth leaders in policy development
Testified on teacher licensure policy at February 2023 MN Legislature
Selected by Center for Policy Design to develop strategy to educate and engage MN student leaders about the New Technology of Learning including mentorship from school and district leaders.
Co-published recommendations report, Transform Schools to Transform Lives: Why Justice-Involved Youth are Reimagining School, including evaluation write-up by Wilder Research and EQ Learning.
Ramsey & Hennepin counties selected Good Troublemakers to serve on youth advisory councils including the Hennepin chair
Co-designed a middle school with the High School of Recording Arts in St. Paul
OUR IMPACT
Since 2022, over 2.0.0.0 young people and community members have joined the Good Trouble network.
Together, we have:
Shaped legislation expanding teacher and student learning pathways at the MN Legislature via public testimony and legislator meetings,
Convened three community forums engaging 400 participants, and
Designed and tested a breakthrough youth-facilitated qualitative student feedback process to be scaled statewide.
Through community forums and youth-led, intergenerational action, we’re helping schools become places where democracy is practiced, not just taught. By 2030, we aim to impact over 300,000 high school students — building the conditions for a generation and their allies to belong, find purpose, and lead with power.
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