The 1995-96 MYC mapped Boston’s youth resources, created a database and established a resource and referral line, staffed by teens, to make the information accessible to youth. The YOUTHLINE provides resources and referrals to youth, parents, educators and youth workers over the phone and in 2000, with the help of the City MIS Department, the database became available online. The YOUTHLINE phone number is (617) 635-2240 and it is open weekdays 12-8 and 10-6 on school vacations.

Each year, the Mayor’s Youth Council brings together over 1,500 Boston young people ages 12-18, their youth workers, adult volunteers and youth service agencies to celebrate Boston’s young people. Youth speakers, entertainers, skits and resource tables highlight all of the youth activities in the city. The summits’ themes show that young people have talents, options and support.

The Positive Image Awards honor young people who are good role models to their peers. The Mayor presents the awards annually to teens that have accomplished impressive goals in their communities and schools.

The MYC continually surveys neighborhood programs and their peers to identify youth issues and available resources within their neighborhoods. The MYC then works together to develop positive solutions and make improvements.

Each fall the MYC organizes a Youth Forum, which serves as an opportunity for Youth Council members to bring the concerns of their neighborhoods directly to city officials including Mayor Menino, Superintendent Payzant, the Boston Police Commissioner, Boston Police Youth Service Officers, and MBTA officials.

Each spring, the members of the Youth Council travel to Washington D.C. to tour the capital and to share the concerns of Boston youth with federal officials. In the past, the Youth Council has had the opportunity to meet with President Clinton, Vice President Gore, Attorney General Reno, Senator Kennedy, Senator Kerry, Congressman Moakley, Congressman Capuano, Secretary of Labor Herman, President Bush’s Council on Environmental Quality, the EPA, the Department of Interior, Democratic National Committee Chairman McAuliffe, and the Department of Labor.

In 2003, the MYC began an outreach campaign to get teens to register to vote as they become eligible. MYC representatives organized voter registration drives and worked to make information more accessible. We also published “Our Vote Matters,” a teen guide to voting in Boston which includes answers to questions asked by young voters, information about absentee ballots and instructions on how to register and vote in Boston.

MYC Reps have participated in community meetings for the planning and designing of the Greenway that will replace the site of the former Central Artery. The Youth Council has also worked with the Boston Redevelopment Authority to organize several workshops that brought together teens to help design ideas for the parcels along the Greenway.

MYC members work with the staff of the Mayor’s Cable Office on Public Service Announcements and have appeared as guests on Boston City TV shows. One council member has her own weekly cable show called “Girls TV.” Click here to see PSAs from the Mayor’s summer job campaign, starring MYC representatives:

Summer Job PSA 1
Summer Job PSA 2

In the past, council members have represented Boston youth on committees such as Trust for City Hall Plaza, Boston 2000, and the Juvenile Justice Grant Program. Several members of the MYC helped form and have served on the National League of Cities Youth Advisory Board. MYC members worked on the Rose Kennedy Greenway Project, the Harvard Medical School “Reflections in Action” planning committee, the Boston Public High School Curriculum Task Force, the Transportation Access Task Force and the National Campaign for Teen Pregnancy Prevention. MYC reps currently serve on the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Children’s Health Committee and a voting task force. The MYC has also designated library, teen health, teen resource, education, volunteer and public safety liaisons.

The MYC maintains a close relationship with Boston Youth Service Officers. They have worked together to improve relations between teens and police. Each year at the Mayor’s Youth Summit, the MYC and the Youth Service Officers collaborate to perform a skit and facilitate a discussion, encouraging communication between teens and police.

The MYC advocates for students to Superintendent Payzant and the staff of the Boston Public Schools. MYC members have served as officers on the Boston Student Advisory Council. The MYC has addressed a variety of issues including its e-mail and cell phone policies, guidance, computer access, tutoring, test preparation, curriculum planning and safety. Council members also developed an MCAS study guide with “teen friendly” information.

The MYC maintains a working relationship with the Police Commissioner, MBTA Transit Police and Youth Service Officers, keeping them informed of youth safety concerns. In 2004, the MYC conducted a survey of their peers to identify places perceived as unsafe. In 2005, the MYC had a meeting with Captain Shenandoah Titus of the MBTA police. The Council shared the safety concerns with police officials and created “A Safe Night Out,” and “Protect Yourself” flyer with safety advice for teens.

The MYC works with several Boston groups including Team Harmony, the Anti-Defamation League & the National Coalition for Community and Justice. The Council participates in focus groups, walks, presentations and planning groups that focus on diversity.

Members of the MYC helped form the National League of Cities Youth Advisory Board. They have worked with over 100 cities to set up youth councils around the country and have led and participated in workshops at conferences in Indianapolis, Washington D.C., Kansas City, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Evansville, IN and San Jose.

Substance abuse has been targeted as an important issue among the youth of Boston. As a result, we have taken measures to decrease the use of illegal substances. The MYC has met with the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Drug Enforcement Agency. In addition, members attended the Comcast Town Meeting for a Drug Free America and have become involved with Students Against Destructive Decisions.

When Boston high school students voiced problems with their guidance counselors, the MYC formed focus groups of teens to identify the problems. When they presented their findings at the Youth Forum in 2002, they were invited to attend a Boston Public School Guidance Staff retreat. There, they made a presentation of the problems and suggestions for improvement to guidance counselors.

The MYC helped the Boston Public Health Commission with their “Talk Listen” campaign to de-stigmatize mental health. The campaign targets teens, offering them information on how to help themselves and friends. It also offers parents tips on how to help their teens. The MYC helped produce the website and handout materials which cover a range of teen issues including stress, violence, drugs & alcohol, depression, eating disorders and rape.

The MYC collaborated with the Office of Community Partnerships on this teen – parent communication campaign. The campaign produced skits, pamphlets, a website, trainings and tips from a youth perspective to help Boston teens improve their communication with their parents.

The Youth Council lobbied to lower the age of Massachusetts State IDs from 18 to 16 so teens without a driver’s license can have legal identification. The State ID is helpful to teens for employment, check cashing, SAT registration and travel identification.

The 2002-2003 MYC focused on getting youth to become actively involved in environmental issues. They sponsored an Earth Day forum at the 2003 Mayor’s Youth Summit and hosted a talk show which discussed ways for teens to get involved with the environment. On their trip to Washington D.C., they focused on issues dealing with air, water, open space and energy in meetings with Senator Kennedy, The President’s Council on Environmental Quality, the EPA and the Department of the Interior.

In 2001, the MYC helped the middle school students from Citizen Schools gather information for this guide about things to do in Boston. In 2004, the MYC updated and expanded the guide and distributed it to the thousands of guests that the US Conference of Mayors and the Democratic National Convention brought to the city.

At the 2000 Mayor’s Youth Summit, the MYC gathered signatures of youth to petition for summer job funding. On their annual trip to Washington D.C., the MYC presented the signatures to Massachusetts Senators Kennedy and Kerry.

The MYC compiled a listing of places in each neighborhood where teens could access computers after school. The information was made available to teens through the YOUTHLINE database.

In 1999 the MYC assessed various modes of transportation in Boston from a youth perspective. They presented photos of problems for pedestrians, drivers and MBTA users to the Boston Transportation Department and made suggestions for improvements.

In 2004-05, MYC Reps were part of a youth committee that learned about the grant review process, defined criteria for recipients and awarded grants to local youth programs.

Many MYC members were privileged to participate in the 2004 Democratic National Convention held in Boston. They participated in Democratic GAIN (Grassroots Campaign Training Program), delegation parties, a tour of DNC Headquarters, a tour of the Fleet Center and various essay contests.

In 2003 MYC members were invited to join a group of 90 teens from around the world at an annual GLOCAL conference in Rome. Glocal Youth Parliament is a glocal-local vehicle for youth empowerment. The GYP mobilizes youth from cities around the world to develop an Urban Agenda for 2020 and serve as a youthled lobby in advocating this agenda locally and globally.

The MYC has been working with the young adults staffs at the Boston Public library to make the more accommodating for teens. The MYC and the library have collaborated on tutoring programs, designing a new teen room, and constructing an ad campaign targeting teens. Click here to take the new BPL Teen survey.

The economy this year made jobs a high priority for teens. The MYC and the Mayor's YOUTHLINE created a list of tips on jobs, GED, community service and internship information. They have made this available online and as a handout.

As competition for jobs among teenagers has become tougher, resumes have become a necessary step in finding emplyment. Existing internet guides and books on resume writing were aimed at adults, so the MYC and the Youthline created a step by step guide specifically for teens. The guide includes how to incorporate community service and extracurricular activities as useful experience and provides sample resumes.

A collaboration between the Mayor's Office of Consumer Affairs and the MYC collaborated to educate teens as consumers with the Money Talk$ Consumer Guide. This information helps keep teens from being taken advantage of by unfair business practices by informing them about credit and debit cards, cell phone contracts, phone cards, gift certificates, return policies and more.

The college planning website was designed to help teens who were overwhelmed with the college process. It gives a step by step to the application process with tips and links and a listing of local college scholarships.