Youth Herald: 2024-2025, A Year in Review: Youth Impact and Leadership in San José

A Year of Youth-Led Change and Community Impact

The San José Youth Commission has completed another remarkable year of empowering youth voices and creating meaningful change across our city, as presented in our 2024-2025 Annual Report. As the official advisory group to the Mayor and City Council, the 2024-2025 Commission has worked tirelessly to represent nearly 30% of San José's population – its children, youth, and young adults.

By the Numbers: Youth Making a Difference

This year's impact is reflected in impressive volunteer service numbers:

1,085 total service hours contributed by Youth Commissioners and Youth Advisory Council members
11 Youth Commissioners, averaging 51 hours each on meetings, outreach, and policy work
41 Youth Advisory Council members dedicating their time to community initiatives

Key Achievements and Initiatives

Expanded Youth Outreach

The Commission created an innovative online application system to streamline recruitment, receiving over 235 applications since August 2024. The Commission's annual Youth Priorities Survey collected 463 responses with an 82% completion rate, providing valuable insights into what matters most to San José youth.

Creative Futures Fair

One of the year's standout events, the Creative Futures Fair, brought together 34 youth-led businesses, 30 student musicians, and 60 high school volunteers, creating a platform for young entrepreneurs that attracted nearly 300 community members. This successful event, now in its second year, showcased the incredible entrepreneurial talent of San José youth.

Environmental Advocacy

The Environmental Advocacy ad hoc committee led multiple initiatives, including:

- - Tree planting at Basking Ridge Park
  - Supporting the District 1 Adopt-a-Storm Drain event
  - Organizing community cleanups across multiple neighborhoods
  - Hosting an Eco-Swap to promote sustainable clothing use

Gender-Based Violence Awareness

The Commission researched community resources and partnered with organizations like YWCA Silicon Valley to host workshops on healthy relationships and women's empowerment, addressing critical safety concerns that ranked as the top priority in the Youth Survey.

College and Career Pathways

Commissioners received detailed reports on programs like Resilience Corps Learning Pathways and San José Works, and explored potential partnerships between high school and city library resources to enhance educational access.

Youth Priorities: What Matters Most

The Commission's annual survey revealed the top concerns for San José youth:

Violence and safety (4.27/5)
Poverty, housing, and homelessness (4.24/5)
Educational resources and programs (3.97/5)
Job opportunities (3.95/5)
Mental health resources (3.86/5)

Encouragingly, youth perception of local government improved, with 37.3% of respondents feeling the city government reflects youth priorities, a 7% increase from last year.

Looking Forward

Under the leadership of Chair Nolan Mascarenhas, the Commission has built strong foundations for continued youth engagement. From expanding Youth Advisory Councils to strengthening partnerships with community organizations, the groundwork has been laid for even greater youth participation in the coming years.

In the words of Youth Commission Chair Nolan Mascarenhas: "I found a community I never knew I so firmly belonged to that has taught me invaluable lessons... The Youth Commission is a space meant for all. It is a space where those with diverse lived experiences, various needs, and varying opinions can voice their concerns and ideas toward building a brighter future."

The San José Youth Commission continues to embody its mission of ensuring that decisions affecting young people are not made "about us, without us."

To learn more or get involved, visit www.sjpl.org/YouthCommission or email YouthCommission@sanjoseca.gov.