Boston

The Boston City Council Committee on Government Operations heard testimony Oct. 27 on Docket 1434, an ordinance to codify the Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement (OYEA), with sponsors and youth advocates urging the council to enshrine the office in the city code to secure long-term access to jobs, mentorship and youth services.

"Were a full team of 11," Pedro Cruz, executive director of the Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement, told the committee as he reviewed the offices programs and staffing. Cruz said OYEA now includes seven full-time staff and year-long fellowships, a paid Mayors Youth Council and a portfolio of programs serving people ages 14 to 25.

The hearing drew broad support from council members and community partners. Councilor Henry Santana, the lead sponsor, said the ordinance responds directly to youth organizers and would "ensure that our youth will have long term access to these important resources." Councilors John Fitzgerald and Katie Flynn also praised the offices work during opening remarks.

Cruz and Chief of Human Services Jose Maso outlined how OYEA grew out of an administrative restructuring in 2022 that moved youth jobs programs into a different cabinet while retaining youth engagement functions at City Hall. Cruz described six programs launched under his leadership in addition to two legacy efforts: the Mayor's Youth Council and the Youth Lead the Change participatory budgeting program.

Program details Cruz provided included:

- The Mayor's Youth Council now pays members, meets multiple days per week from October to May, added two seats for undocumented youth and has launched an alumni network and intercity exchanges.

- Youth Lead the Change, the citywide participatory budgeting program, manages roughly $1 million in youth-directed projects annually; Cruz said earlier backlogs have been completed or are in progress, with projects such as Wi-Fi expansions and a media center at the Tobin Community Center.

- The Mayor's Youth Summit was reestablished, drawing roughly 300 attendees in its return year and 500 the following year; Cruz said the office plans an annual summit and ongoing youth awards.

- Boston After Dark, evening programming for teens, expanded from 18 events across nine neighborhoods (serving ~1,000 youth) to 23 events across 15 neighborhoods (serving ~1,500).

- Youthline, an online resource hub, lists roughly 500 services and includes an intake/referral process to connect young people with case managers or partners.

- The YouSpeak Boston survey collected approximately 1,600 responses; results were released as a story map and dashboard developed with the Boston Public Health Commission and Northeastern University partners.

Cruz emphasized partnership and modest internal budget growth: the office raised nearly $200,000 in external funds and secured in-kind support from nonprofits and private partners to scale programs. "It's been partnerships, man," he said, describing how outside funding and collaborators (for example, foundations and local businesses) have subsidized events and training.

Community organizations and city agencies described concrete benefits from OYEA. Tracy Longelow of the Boston Public Health Commission said OYEAs bimonthly partner meetings and professional development "have been essential to the work" her program does in supporting students. Sean Brown of Youth Guidance Boston and other nonprofit leaders testified that OYEA creates pathways to jobs, mentorship and training for youth and youth workers.

Multiple young people who have participated in OYEA programs testified about internships, civic projects and leadership development. Bridget Blair, a junior who serves on the Mayor's Youth Council, described leading a street-safety initiative and shadowing city construction teams; other youth described job placements and participatory budgeting projects that improved local facilities.

During question-and-answer, councilors pressed on neighborhood equity and coordination with other departments. Councilor Braden asked how OYEA works with Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF); Cruz cited shared programming on Boston After Dark and cross-referrals through the Youthline. Cruz acknowledged gaps in some neighborhoods and said OYEA is continuing outreach and partnerships to expand services.

Committee members also asked about the ordinance language and next steps. Chair Gabriela Colette Zapata said the committee had received suggested language changes from the administration and would reconcile the versions. She said the committee would prepare a report summarizing the hearing and changes and circulate a final draft; Councilor Santana indicated the sponsors hope to place a vote before the full council the following week.

No formal vote took place at the hearing. The committee recorded public testimony from dozens of community organizations and young participants and closed the hearing after planning follow-up on the draft ordinance language.

The committee hearing provided a detailed administrative record—program metrics, participant testimony and funding explanations—that councilors said they will weigh as they consider codification.