Young Adult Guiding Coalition (YAGC)

An Introduction to YAGC

At Eye to Eye we believe deeply in the power, voice, and perspective of our young people. All that we do is oriented around their needs, wants, and opportunities and we work to amplify their voices and leadership to inform our collective direction.

About YAGC

The Young Adult Guiding Coalition (YAGC) is a 10-month long volunteer opportunity for young people aged 16-25 who identify as neurodivergent. YAGC members are primarily responsible for providing insight and input into Eye to Eye programs and services; co-creating opportunities for our Eye to Eye community; and serving as ambassadors for the movement to combat stigma and engage in anti-ableist practices as we work towards a world that celebrates neurodiversity. Our YAGC works together virtually as a singular advisory group in addition to 4 committees that work directly with specific internal teams here at Eye to Eye. Each Committee has a YAGC Committee Chair that works directly with an Eye to Eye Staff Liaison as collaborators throughout the year.

YAGC Committees

Philanthropic Development Committee

The purpose of Eye to Eye’s Philanthropic Development Committee is to create a space for neurodivergent young adults to inform components of Eye to Eye’s development work to ensure that youth voice is central to all fundraising activities. The Philanthropic Development Committee will provide insight and share ideation on future fundraising initiatives, including campaigns, events and external communications in partnership with the Development team.

Organizing and Action Committee

The Organizing & Action Committee will guide the design and direction of movement building work at Eye to Eye, including grassroots organizing, advocacy, and campaigns. In partnership with the Organizing and Action team, the Committee will co-create and continuously improve the organizing framework and strategies to mobilize our community.

Professional Learning Committee

The Professional Learning Committee will bring young adult voice to inform the design of professional learning modules and learning experiences. The focus of this feedback will be on both the how and the what of the learning for our educator participants. Feedback will inform the revisions of existing modules and the design of new ones, ensuring that the learning experiences consistently model best practices that support neurodivergent learners.

Near Peer Mentoring Committee

The purpose of the Near-Peer Mentoring Committee is to bring youth voice and experience to the strategic direction of Eye to Eye’s Mentoring Program. The Near-Peer Mentoring Program Committee will provide insight and ideation to suggest opportunities for program scale, impact, and innovation to can inform projects and initiatives.

YAGC 2022/23

Meet YAGC members from the 2022/23 cohort!

1 Anna Higgins

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

2 Caroline Brufsky

3 Davis FitzGerald

Pronouns: He/Him/His

4 Dylan Nash

Pronouns: He/Him/His

5 Emily Monforte

Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs

6 Jacob Ryan

Pronouns: He/Him/His

7 Jaimie List

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

8 Katherine Abraham

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

9 Lia Beatty

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

10 Maggie O'Hagan

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

11 Nick Gary

Pronouns: He/Him/His

12 Ryan Blackwell

Pronouns: He/Him/His

13 Zane Landin

Pronouns: He/Him/His

YAGC Fiscal Year 2023/2024

Applications will open in Spring 2023 for the 2023/2024 cohort.