Youth present Child Friendly Cities action plan calling for anti-bullying steps, safer public spaces and more civic pathways

Boulder City Council on May 15 received a youth-led update on the city's Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) and a draft youth action plan that lays out priorities and practical next steps. The youth council, working with city staff and Growing Up Boulder, recommended three immediate priorities: (1) address and reduce bullying; (2) improve safety and belonging in public spaces; and (3) create more, easier pathways for youth to share opinions and participate in city decision making.

The project is part of the UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative, a global program the city joined in April 2023. City staff said the local process paired community workshops, government data and targeted outreach; youth facilitators helped lead conversations that staff said reached more than 900 youth, more than 500 adults and 48 organizations.

Youth priorities and proposed strategies

- Anti-bullying: Youth recommended co-creating an anti-bullying curriculum with students, training youth facilitators, and strengthening adult training so teachers and other adults can act effectively as upstanders. The youth council stressed a desire for solutions driven by youth experience and representation from marginalized communities.

- Safety and belonging in public spaces: The youth plan calls for targeted safety infrastructure (lighting, signage and call‑box options), youth-focused self-defense and confidence training, more multicultural gathering spaces and programs to reduce harassment in parks and on transit. The council said these measures should be coordinated with homeless outreach and health services to address root causes.

- Civic participation and youth voice: Youth asked for civic initiatives such as school-day ballot boxes for youth priorities, regular listening sessions with younger cohorts, leadership fairs and stronger connections between youth representatives and city boards and commissions. The council recommended documenting and cataloging available civic pathways and offering regular events where youth can deliver feedback directly to elected officials.

Youth presenters asked council for feedback and support and highlighted implementation resources already identified in their draft: staff coordinators, adult mentors, curriculum specialists and logistical support for events. The youth team said they plan to leverage $2 million in funding identified from a prior city asset sale to begin program rollouts and pilots, and they asked council to help with funding choices and cross-agency coordination.

Voices and engagement

Bridal Horansky and Rachel Tilton, youth leaders with the Youth Opportunities Advisory Board, and members of the newly formed CFCI Youth Council presented the plan. One youth council member summarized the civic-engagement goal: "We want more ways to share ideas and actually see change happen because of them." City deputy director Elizabeth Crowe and staff from Growing Up Boulder said the process prioritized equity by providing stipends, interpretation and child care during workshops so a broader cross-section of young people could participate.

Next steps

The youth council and staff asked council for feedback before finalizing the plan and said they would then submit the plan to UNICEF USA. Staff outlined implementation steps that include clarifying roles, establishing accountability and evaluation criteria, piloting early actions and scheduling milestone reporting. Youth leaders said they will begin program rollouts after the plan is finalized.

Council response and direction

Council members praised the youth presentation and asked for more detailed implementation budgets, specific timelines and clear points of contact. Several council members invited deeper, ongoing engagement between youth and the council and encouraged staff to provide the youth council with support and opportunities to present more often.

Ending

Council members applauded the youth presenters for leading and shaping the plan. Staff and the youth council said they will incorporate council feedback, finalize the action plan and return with implementation steps and periodic updates.