The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative® works to ensure that young people -- ages 14 to 26 in the United States who have spent at least one day in foster care after their 14th birthday -- have the resources, relationships and opportunities to achieve well-being and success. The Jim Casey Initiative does this by focusing on four key indicators: permanency, stable housing, educational success and economic security and pregnancy prevention and parenting support. To do this, the Initiative uses an approach called authentic youth engagement. This approach includes a focus on racial and ethnic equity to achieve better outcomes for all young people; using partnerships with community institutions to make the most of resources; tracking data and evaluation results to assess progress; and building public will to create better policies and sustain momentum. This guide explores authentic youth engagement, including how it benefits young people, why it works and what it looks like in real life.