Fresh ideas, new perspectives, creativity and energy are popular terms tossed around by adults who embrace the philosophy that young people have a lot to offer. I take this view further and argue that teens are the experts of their generation. When given an opportunity, they can play critical roles in guiding and steering organizations including those without a youth-oriented mission. Consider these three examples.

	The FBI hired three 8th grade girls to teach agents how to chat online about everything from clothes to celebrities. Their input increased the effectiveness of the Bureau’s “Operation Innocent Imagines,” designed to catch pedophiles.
	Botanists relied on an elementary school class to examine and categorize a butterfly collection. The children surprised the scientists when they identified a new species that the trained eyes of Ph.D.’s did not detect.
	Teachers receive college credit for professional development classes taught by high school students through a program called Generation YES, where teens train educators to integrate technology into their classrooms.

Of course, young people don’t just open up and reveal everything they know and imagine. Depending on the individuals involved, asking for reactions to proposed services and policies may only elicit a compliant nod of approval. It takes time to gain trust, especially with young people who are conditioned to wait to be called on by adults and rarely encouraged to think outside the box.

“Adults think if they feed us pizza, that’s all it takes,” warned one 11th grader with a solid track record of designing a media literacy curriculum. A genuine belief that everyone brings something substantive to the table — regardless of age — is the foundation for collegial relationships.

What’s crucial is that “Adults treat you like a person — not just a student — and really seem to appreciate your opinions,” according to Sara Sasfai, with whom I co-presented at a recent conference of the American Planning Association. This high school senior has had positive experiences both as a member of the Career & Technical Vocational Advisory Committee for Arlington, Virginia and the Teen Network Board, a countywide group that communicates its concerns and ideas directly to decisionmakers including the head of food service for the public school system and the manager of a local shopping mall.

Ms. Sasfai also is the business manager for ASPweb, a student-run enterprise of the Arlington Career Center. She finds having her own business card helps adults view her not only as an 12th grader from Venezuela with impeccable English and poise but as a professional with distinct credentials.

For the adult world to take advantage of the skills and inventive mindset of the Millennial Generation, follow Ms. Sasfai’s advice:

“ Learn to really listen, try to grasp our ideas and way of thinking.”

One of my favorite lines by Roger Hart drives home this point: “We’re not just talking about giving young people a voice but getting adults to have an ear.”