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Speaker urges Denver to expand 'My Denver Card' statewide and to serve more youth
Summary
Vernon Jones Jr. told council that local youth programs have helped some young people and urged support for House Bill 1055 to pilot a statewide 'youth opportunity card,' arguing current city program reach falls short of the needs of roughly 90,000 children in Denver.
Vernon Jones Jr. asked the Denver City Council on March 2 to consider expanding the My Denver Card model statewide through support for House Bill 1055 and to scale up city efforts for youth employment and after‑school programs.
Jones praised the city's My Denver Card work and asked the council to "dream bigger," noting that while programs serve thousands of young people, the city has roughly 90,000 children and youth and the need is greater. He asked the council to coordinate with Denver Public Schools and to consider how to ensure more equitable access so more young people benefit.
Jones encouraged council support for the state bill (House Bill 1055) and suggested Denver leaders push to broaden the concept of a youth opportunity card beyond the city pilot so other communities can adopt it.
Why it matters: Speakers framed youth opportunity programs as an investment in long‑term community wellbeing and urged council oversight and support for scaling promising local initiatives.
