Mayor Wu’s Youth Council: Boston’s Up & Coming Political Leaders

In a big city such as Boston, it’s easy to feel unrepresented. Especially when you’re a teen and often treated as an inconsequential voice in city government. But with a team of 20 high school students dedicated to finding a place in civic leadership, The Mayor’s Youth Council (MYC) is trying to bridge the gap between youth and political decisions within Boston. 

MYC’s goal is to ensure that the voices of Boston’s youth are acknowledged when creating city laws, while also giving the members of the council valuable experience in public service. The members meet daily to workshop and plan events to unite teens in Boston. 

Teens in Print collaborated with the council at city hall in December, and got a short but sweet introduction to the members and how the program runs. To gather more details, I reached out to second-time Mayor’s Youth Council member Samuel Falke to get an inside perspective on what it’s like to work at city hall and advocate for the young voices of Boston.

When asked about MYC’s benefits, Falke said the members better understand “the complexities” of city government, and the timeline of putting laws into practice. Falke also expressed how important it is that the members of MYC can voice opinions of Boston’s youth. “You get to actually represent the people you’re around…it kind of restores some faith in government.”

Falke said that while there are overwhelming benefits to being on the Mayor’s Youth Council,  the job is a heavy commitment on top of school work and other extracurriculars. The dedication required to take part in MYC may also limit “people who would want to be on the council that are participating in clubs, sports or take rigorous classes.” 

The council spends time meticulously planning community gatherings to engage Boston’s youth, such as their Town Halls, Boston After Dark, and the Mayor’s Youth Summit – an annual celebration of youth contributions to Boston’s culture. 

TiP was able to attend one of MYC’s Town Halls, which are structured to gather information about teen education, local community, and accessibility in the city. The intel gathered at these halls are used by the council to create a ballot of teen issues, and high school students are provided with the opportunity to vote on the cause given $1,000,000 of the city budget. A previous major MYC project voted on by students yielded Boston’s Wicked Free Wifi.

The Mayor’s Youth Council and city officials focused on Youth Engagement and Advancement are incredibly devoted to standing up for youth opinions in Boston when resolving city and neighborhood issues. To get involved with future events, or possibly collaborations between MYC and your youth community groups, visit their page on the City of Boston website.