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Commit to the Promise
The Youth Worker’s Promise
An Invitation to Rise Together
Every young person deserves adults who lead with integrity, compassion, and courage. Every youth worker deserves a community that lifts them up as they do the sacred work of guiding others.
The Youth Worker’s Promise is more than a statement - it’s a movement. A commitment to doing the inner and outer work required to serve youth with love, dignity, and accountability.
By taking this pledge, you’re joining a global community of youth workers who believe that how we show up matters just as much as what we do. Together, we can transform not only the lives of young people, but the future of our communities and our world.
Take the Pledge
The 15 Commitments: A Framework at the Heart of Ethical Youth Work
These fifteen commitments represent a promise - to yourself, to your peers, and to the youth you serve. They are not rules or checklists, but a living framework that reminds us what matters most in this work: relationships, integrity, and presence.
The 15 Commitments for Ethical and Transformative Youth Work
1. I commit to depth over breadth in my relationships with youth.
2. I commit to building a web of support around every young person—not believing the impact depends on me alone.
3. I commit to first seeking to understand, before seeking to inspire.
4. I commit to leading with what’s strong, not what’s wrong.
5. I commit to empowering youth as collaborators, not passive participants.
6. I commit to showing up for families as allies, not bystanders.
7. I commit to doing this work with the community—not without them.
8. I commit to living where I serve.
9. I commit to staying the course.
10. I commit to meeting youth where they are.
11. I commit to building a support team.
12. I commit to welcoming a challenge team.
13. I commit to healing my story—so I don’t carry it into the lives of the youth I serve.
14. I commit to pursuing professional growth as a lifelong practice.
15. I commit to honoring the behind-the-scenes work as sacred—just as sacred as being present with youth.
Before you sign, take a moment to breathe.
Reflect on what this work has meant to you - the faces of the youth who’ve trusted you, the mentors who’ve guided you, the lessons you’ve learned along the way.
This pledge isn’t about perfection. It’s about intention. It’s about leading with heart, holding yourself accountable, and committing to the lifelong practice of growth.
When you sign, you are joining others who share this promise: to do no harm, to center relationships, and to lead with love.
Sign the Pledge
Join a growing movement of youth workers committed to ethical, relationship-centered practice.
After signing, you’ll receive a welcome note from Don Carpenter and periodic communications with reflections and resources to support your work.