“Experience of a Lifetime”: Cambridge Youth Council Shares Experience from National League of Cities Conference

How will youth shape cities over the next 100 years? This was one of the central questions that the Cambridge Youth Council, comprised of 16 Cambridge teens who focus on improving the lives of youth in Cambridge, explored during their November trip to the National League of Cities (NLC) Congressional Cities Conference in Tampa, Florida. The annual conference brings together local leaders from across the country to engage in policy, learn from experts, and build partnerships to create brighter futures for our cities and towns. Teens from the Cambridge Youth Council (CYC) attended a 2-day, youth-led Youth Delegate Summit at the conference.

Three CYC members were part of the Youth Delegate Summit’s Planning Committee and served as workshop facilitators during the summit. The first day focused on the theme of “Discourse and The Power of Fostering Dialogue” and teens engaged on debate about social issues including fracking, healthcare, tariffs on foreign goods, gun control laws, and subsidized housing. CYC members worked with other Youth Councils from across the country to discuss opposing sides of these topics.

After the conference portion of the day, CYC had the opportunity to attend youth socials in the evenings with the other Youth Councils at the Conference. On Tuesday evening, NLC rented out the Florida Aquarium in Tampa for tours, food, and dancing. These youth socials provided time to meet new people and learn about the work of other Youth Councils. Many CYC members talked about the value of making new friends and their excitement to make connections with youth in other cities and states.

The second day of the Summit focused on “Cities Tackling Disasters and Youth Engagement.” Youth worked with adults from other cities to build houses out of Legos and discuss how to make programs more accessible for low-income families.

As part of the experience, CYC participated in a contest to answer how youth will shape cities over the next 100 years. CYC members created a video highlighting the social change they have successfuly advocated for and implemented in Cambridge, including offering free transportation to all Cambridge high school students, providing free menstrual products, and expanding access to youth mental health resources through the Youth Headspace campaign. CYC was awarded 3rd place and a $2,000 cash prize for their video. (Watch the video here!)

To wrap up their time at the Youth Delegate Summit, CYC members met with staff and elected officials from the City of Cambridge to present their work, share highlights from their experience, and detail their plans for the rest of the year. As one teen shared with the group: “the conference was an experience of a lifetime.”

To learn more about the Cambridge Youth Council, visit the CYC website.

Questions? Contact Izzy Schpeiser, CYC Coordinator, at ischpeiser@cambridgema.gov.