Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · 3h

We asked young people in Boston about mental health, mentorship, and more in our Youth Speaks Boston needs assessment. Learn what they had to say at boston.gov/youth-speaks.

Text at the top says when youth have a mentor, they feel more comfortable talking about mental health with adults in their lives. A chart shows that 58 out of 100 youth who have a mentor say that they feel comfortable talking about their mental health with adults, while 17 out of 100 youth who do not have a mentor feel comfortable talking about mental health with adults.

Text at the top says there is also a connection between mentorship and a young person's knowledge of where to access mental health care. A chart shows that 65 out of 100 youth who have a mentor say that they know where to access mental health care, while 33 out of 100 youth who do not have a mentor say that they know where to access mental health care.

Text at the top says see more findings from Youth Speaks Boston. Below is a laptop graphic with a screenshot from the Youth Speaks Boston StoryMap. Text at the bottom says view the StoryMap and data dashboard at boston.gov/youthspeaks

3 4

Reposted by Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement

Office of Mayor Michelle Wu 吳弭 @mayorwu.boston.gov · 3d

12/11 | BCYF Curtis Hall, 3-7pm Flu & COVID-19 (6mo+)

12/15 | BCYF Nazzaro, 10am-2pm Flu & COVID-19 (6mo+)

12/16 | Central Library in Copley Square, Boston Public Library, 9am-1pm Flu & COVID-19 (6mo+)

1 1 9

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · 4d

Do young people in Boston feel like they have access to transportation? We asked them this and more in our Youth Speaks Boston needs assessment. To find out what they said, visit boston.gov/youth-speaks.

Text at the top says which method of transportation do you frequently use? A bar chart shows that seventy-four percent of Boston youth use public transportation, forty percent walk, twenty-nine percent have others drive them, twenty-five percent use rideshare, twenty-one percent drive their own or shared car, and thirteen percent bike. Text at the bottom says Boston youth most commonly use public transportation to get around the city.

Text at the top says youth who report lacking access to safe, reliable, and affordable transportation are three times more likely to report trouble accessing housing and menstrual products, and two times more likely to report trouble accessing food, health care services, hygiene products, and clothing. Icons of a house, menstrual pad, fork and knife, first aid cross, toothbrush, and shirt are to the right of the text.

1 3

Reposted by Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement

Boston Public Health Commission @publichealth.boston.gov · 4d

The Mayor's Health Line is a free, confidential, information and referral service. Get help enrolling in health insurance, finding primary care providers, and more. We help all residents regardless of immigration status.

Call us at 617-534-5050 or visit boston.gov/mayors-health-line.

Mayor's Health Line

Apply for Health Insurance: Call us at 617-534-5050 or send us an email at [email protected] and provide the following: Name Phone Number Preferred Language Best day(s) to reach you Best time(...

boston.gov

6 8

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · 6d

Do young people in Boston feel safe? We asked them this and more in our Youth Speaks Boston needs assessment. To find out what they said, visit boston.gov/youth-speaks.

Text at the top says overall, about six in ten Boston youth say they feel safe in their own neighborhoods. A pie chart shows that about fifty-six percent of Boston youth agree, about thirty-one percent are neutral, and about twelve percent disagree. Text at the bottom says however, across the city, there are stark differences between neighborhoods.

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · 11d

Do young people in Boston feel like they belong? We asked them this and more in our Youth Speaks Boston needs assessment. To find out what they said, visit boston.gov/youth-speaks

Text at the top says about two out of three Boston youth report feeling they belong in Boston. A pie chart shows that sixty eight percent of Boston youth agree, twenty-seven percent are neutral, and four percent disagree. Text at the bottom says however, there are disparities when we break down the data.

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · 12d

Boston-based youth-serving professionals: register now for our FREE professional development workshops in October and November! Don't miss these valuable opportunities, make sure you and your colleagues RSVP at boston.gov/professional-development!

Text says OYEA Professional Development Series Upcoming Workshops at the Bolling Building. Four red and white calendar icons with the dates October first: Social Emotional Learning, 10AM to 12PM; October 16: Introduction to Restorative Justice for Youth Workers, 10AM to 12PM; November 13: LGBTQ Identity and Expression 201, 10am - 12pm; November 20: Adult, Infant, & Child Heartsaver CPR with AED Certification Course, 10am-3pm. boston.gov/professional-development

1

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · 13d

At Boston After Dark this summer, we served over 1500 young people with our partners @bcyf.boston.gov, YMCA, YOU Boston, @bostonchildrens.bsky.social and Cummings Foundation 🤝 To be the first to hear about upcoming events, stay tuned to our socials and subscribe to our newsletter at Boston.gov/oyea

Pink and blue graphic on a dark background, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, Youth Engagement and Advancement, and the YMCA logos are at the top. The text reads Boston After Dark, twenty-three events, fifteen neighborhoods, fifteen hundred plus youth served. At the bottom are young people posing with Boston After Dark shirts, outlined in pink and blue

A young person posing with a Sprayground backpack, outlined in pink, next to white and blue text on a dark background that says My favorite part of Boston After Dark is the community and how everybody is so together, by Senai, seventeen, Dorchester

A young person, outlined in blue, holding up a peace sign, next to white and pink text on a dark background that says My favorite part of Boston After Dark is the food and it's just really fun, by Edith, thirteen, Jamaica Plain.

A young person with headphones on using a DJ turntable and laptop, outlined in pink on a dark background. White and blue text says I got to DJ for Boston After Dark because of a summer program at Youth Options Unlimited and I've really enjoyed it, JT or DJ Gorilla, eighteen, Dorchester.

2 4

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · 21d

Last Friday, @museumofscience.bsky.social hosted us and our partners for the kickoff of our 2025-26 Partner Network cycle. We shared breakfast, achievements from the summer, and a preview of findings from our Youth Speaks Boston survey. Visit boston.gov/oyea-partners for next meeting details!

2

Reposted by Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement

Boston Public Health Commission @publichealth.boston.gov · 26d

We’re offering free vaccine clinics in Boston. Vaccines are safe, effective, and protect against serious illness. Getting vaccinated keeps you healthy and helps protect your family, friends, and community.

Learn more at boston.gov/vaccine-clinics.

A group of young people sit on a bench behind a fence at a baseball diamond. Text reads, “FREE Vaccine Clinics in Boston. Get your flu and COVID-19 vaccines for free. No appointment necessary, walk-ins welcome. Find dates, times, and locations at boston.gov/vaccine-clinics.” The logos for the City of Boston, Boston Public Health Commission, Boston Public Schools, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, Legacy Care Group, and Shaw’s Star Market are at the bottom.

46 88

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · Sep 15

We're excited to announce that the September 2025 OYEA Partner Network Meeting will be hosted by the Museum of Science! At this meeting, we'll have exciting news from OYEA and much more. As always, breakfast will be provided! For meeting details, join our partner network: boston.gov/oyea-partners

OYEA Partner Network

The OYEA Partner Network is a group of community partners and City agencies focused on advancing the lives of youth in Boston. This group meets bi-monthly to connect, network, share resources and oppo...

boston.gov

1

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · Sep 8

Boston-based youth-serving professionals: register now for the first four FREE professional development workshops of our new cycle! Don't miss these valuable opportunities, make sure you and your colleagues RSVP at boston.gov/professional-development!

3

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · Sep 4

Our last Boston After Dark event of Summer 2025 was LIT 🔥Curtis Hall showed out for the perfect carnival closeout including cotton candy, face painting, bounce houses, games, a DJ, and of course, ice cream 🍦Thanks to everyone who came out this summer, stay tuned for our recap reel coming soon :)

1 4

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · Sep 4

As you head back to school this week, OYEA is here for you! 📚🎓 Youthline, a resource directory for youth and young adults, is available at boston.gov/youthline. 📌 Check our community calendar and sign up for our weekly newsletter, The Buzz, to stay in the loop this school year at boston.gov/oyea!

A high school student being handed a pencil outside of a school, balloons and adults smiling in the background

A graphic with the text Happy First Week of School, Boston from the OYEA team on a notebook paper background. The City of Boston and Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement logos are at the top.

1 2

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · Sep 2

The Youth Speaks Boston findings are live! View the results from the first-ever citywide needs assessment focusing on what Boston’s young people need in their time outside of work and school. Access the findings at boston.gov/youth-speaks.

A cartoon graphic of a laptop shows a screenshot of the Youth Speaks Boston StoryMap. Bold top text says learn what youth need across Boston. Italicized bottom text says view the storymap and data dashboard: Boston.gov/youthspeaks. City of Boston, OYEA, and Youth Speaks logos line the bottom

1

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · Aug 12

Happy International Youth Day, Boston! From leading change in your communities to inspiring new ideas for the future, YOU are shaping a better Boston every day. Let’s continue to lift each other up, dream big, and take action — the future isn’t just ahead of us, it’s being built by you right now.

1 1 4

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · Aug 4

We were thrilled to welcome our Partner Network to our first annual Partner Celebration at Doña Habana last Thursday! We're grateful for the hard work our wonderful partners do all year and it was a privilege to celebrate them last week. We’re looking forward to the work and fun ahead!

5

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · Jul 23

At Boston After Dark last Friday, we danced at BCYF Martin Pino 🕺 swam at Wang YMCA 🏊 and BBQ'd at Thomas Menino YMCA 🌭 Catch our events this Friday at BCYF Nazzaro and Oak Square YMCA to join the fun🪩To see the full line up for the summer, visit Boston.gov/after-dark

2

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · Jul 16

Were you a member of the Boston Mayor's Youth Council or Mayor's Youth Leadership Corps? We want to connect! OYEA is building our network of MYC alumni so that we can share news, engagement opportunities, and social events with all of you. To (re-)connect with your community, fill out this form:

Mayor's Youth Council Alumni Form

This form will help us gather information on how best to serve MYC Alumni as we look to build out our alumni network!

docs.google.com

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · Jul 8

A huge thank you to our partners YMCA of Greater Boston, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, YOU Boston, and Cummings Foundation for keeping the fun going all summer long! Plus to 617 Peak and Beat the Odds Boston for putting on some fantastic performances at our kickoff.

2

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · Jul 8

In June, we kicked off Boston After Dark 2025 with over 100 attendees at the BCYF Mattahunt! This summer, we’re hosting 23 teen events across 15 Boston neighborhoods every Friday night through the end of August. Find them all at boston.gov/after-dark.

2 1

Reposted by Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement

Boston Public Health Commission @publichealth.boston.gov · Jul 2

The Mayor's Health Line is a free, confidential, information and referral service. Get help enrolling in health insurance, finding primary care providers, and more. We help all residents regardless of immigration status.

Call us at 617-534-5050 or visit boston.gov/mayors-health-line.

Mayor's Health Line

Apply for Health Insurance: Call us at 617-534-5050 or send us an email at [email protected] and provide the following: Name Phone Number Preferred Language Best day(s) to reach you Best time(...

boston.gov

1 4 9

Reposted by Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement

City of Boston @boston.gov · May 28

Next Monday, June 2 at 2 p.m., join @mayorwu.boston.gov and members of Boston’s LGBTQ+ community as we kick off Pride Month with a flag raising and celebration on City Hall Plaza.

Visit Boston.gov/pride to see the full schedule of Pride Month events! 🏳️‍🌈

The Pride flag is raised over Boston City Hall Plaza.

7 45

Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement @oyea.boston.gov · May 27

This Friday, May 30 is our next OYEA Partner Network meeting, hosted by Franklin Park Zoo! Connect, network, and celebrate the year together before the busy summer season. To RSVP and receive updates for upcoming meetings and professional development opportunities, join our Partner Network here:

OYEA Partner Network Sign Up

Please fill out this form if you are interested in joining the OYEA Partner Network! Visit boston.gov/departments/youth-engagement-and-advancement/oyea-partner-network for more information.

forms.monday.com

Reposted by Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement

Boston Public Health Commission @publichealth.boston.gov · May 14

Join us tomorrow in the North End!

Boston Parks Department @parks.boston.gov · May 14

Summer fitness in the parks is back and we’re kicking things off in a big way! 💪🧘‍♀️ Join us for our Kickoff on Thursday, May 15 at 5:30 p.m. at Christopher Columbus Park in the North End.

Register today at boston.gov/fitness

2 3