Palo Alto Youth Council reports record applications, releases youth issue census showing low civic engagement

PALO ALTO, Calif. — The Palo Alto Youth Council told the City Council on Monday that it has grown to a 30-member body this year, produced a digitized mental health resource guide, and completed an inaugural youth issue census that found many young people feel safe in the city yet disconnected from local government.

The study session presentation outlined the council’s three themes for the year — mental health, civic education and climate — and described recent and planned projects including a mental health resource web guide, a substance-abuse education video, an academic "study cram" event that served more than 260 teens, a civic-impact summit, and a community outreach event pairing pancakes and pickleball.

Why it matters: The youth census of 262 respondents showed a mix of confidence and concern. According to council leaders, roughly 99% of youth reported feeling moderately to very safe in Palo Alto, but many said they lacked knowledge of how city government works: 68% reported knowing little to nothing about what the City Council does and about half said they did not believe their voice could influence local government.

What youth told the council

Natia, president of the Palo Alto Youth Council, told the City Council that youth selected themes during a retreat and that the Council doubled its usual candidate pool by opening the application early in June 2024. "We are so, so excited to tell you more about who we are as a council," she said.

Charlie, who summarized the youth census, said the survey’s top findings included strong perceptions of personal safety and a demand for safer biking infrastructure and stronger climate action. "Most youth don't feel civically engaged — they don't understand what the council does," Charlie said. "This data underscores the importance of the work we've done this year and must do in the future, to connect youth with the City Council."

Programs and events

The Youth Council described several recent initiatives:

- A digitized mental health resource guide with interviews of local mental health professionals, made public on the group’s website. - A substance-abuse information video with expert interviews. - The "Bridal study cram slam," a three-day academic support event that served more than 260 teens and included tutors and therapy dogs. - A civic impact summit with guest speakers and a youth issue census to collect data on youth priorities.

Upcoming activities include a Pancakes & Pickleball morning on March 29 designed to pair informal sports with policy conversation, an Earth Day outreach presence and a Powapalooza youth community event. The council also plans a "paths to careers" event focused on alternatives to four-year college, with booths and resume/interview workshops.

Council response and follow-ups

Council members praised the presentation and asked that the Youth Council continue sending regular updates to the council and staff. Council liaison Lythcott Haims suggested smaller, more frequent updates rather than repeated full study sessions, and recommended the City provide staff support where available. Council Member Stone recommended rotating representation when the council wants to speak at full council meetings. Several council members offered to connect Youth Council leaders with community partners and suggested venues for career-path programming.

Ending

The Youth Council closed by inviting councilmembers to upcoming events and offering to share the census dataset for further analysis. Councilmembers requested a follow-up on specific items including safe biking, civic education partnerships, and the design of an upcoming teen center on University Avenue.