Mayor Walsh searches for Boston Teens to join his Youth Council

Today Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced that his newly-redesigned Mayor’s Youth Council will be accepting applications for neighborhood representative positions.The Mayor’s Youth Council (MYC) has been tasked with creating and implementing sustainable initiatives to engage young people in local government.

“Young people in the City not only deserve to have their voices heard, but also be a part of the government process,” said Mayor Walsh. “I have seen the positive results that come from having youth present at the table when decisions are being made – not just in the decision process, but also in their strengthened involvement and sense of responsibility to our City and their neighborhoods.”

The Mayor’s Youth Council has undergone several changes under the Walsh Administration:

• The size of the Council has more than doubled in size, and neighborhood representatives will better reflect the composition of youth in the City of Boston.
• The number of youth representing neighborhoods will be based upon census data that indicates where young people live.
• MYC representatives will have an opportunity to form issue-centric committees that will be designed based on youth input.

“I’m exposed to so many different environments, and meet so many different government officials who want my input, my opinions on different situations,” said Mabel Gonzalez, a current Mattapan representative on the MYC. “Not only do you meet tons of people on the MYC, but you make a plan for what your city’s future can look like. Forty five years from now I can say, ‘I helped build this. I helped make this,’ so that’s pretty cool.”

“I fell in love with public service through my experience on the Mayor’s Youth Council,” said Shari Davis, MYC alumna and Executive Director of Youth Engagement and Employment. “It was really an opportunity for me to make connections and eventually start my career in city government.”  

To apply to be a neighborhood representative on the Mayor’s Youth Council, you must be a Boston resident and entering grades 9-12 (or of comparable age). All applicants will participate in a group interview and must submit letters of recommendation. To learn more and apply online, visit www.boston.gov/youthcouncil.