What "Codifying OYEA" Means for Boston's Youth
This week, I want to talk about one of the most important investments we can make as a city: an investment in our young people.
We're focusing on the importance of codification as we look toward the Public Hearing on Monday, October 27, 2025. This hearing is for my ordinance, filed in partnership with Santana’s Youth Force, to officially codify the Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement.
My time growing up in Boston Public Schools gave me a visceral understanding of the power and the vulnerabilities of our city's young people. I saw firsthand how their struggles, their dreams, and their families' needs are inextricably linked to the future of Boston itself.
I'm driven to translate that experience into concrete policy changes—changes that amplify youth voices and strategically invest in the support systems that empower them to thrive.
What is the Office of Youth Engagement & Advancement?
For those who may not be familiar, The Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement (OYEA) is a hub dedicated to uplifting the voices and advancing the lives of young people, ages 14–25, across Boston. It connects young residents to opportunities, resources, and gives them a direct line to influence City policy.
Some of its key initiatives include:
The Mayor's Youth Council: Empowers young leaders to advise the Mayor on issues affecting their peers.
Youth Lead the Change: A participatory budgeting program where young people decide how to spend a portion of the city's capital budget on projects they care about.
YouthLine: A centralized resource hub connecting youth to essential services and support.
OYEA’s mission is to ensure that young people are active participants in the decisions that shape their lives and our city.
Why Codification?
Right now, many important city offices in Boston are created by the Mayor. This is a good thing—it allows the city to respond to new needs. But it also means that office exists mostly because the current Mayor wants it to.
Right now, OYEA exists as a mayoral office, meaning it can be changed or even eliminated by a future administration.
Codification is simply the process of writing that office, its mission, and its responsibilities directly into the city's official laws (our municipal code).
Codifying an office does three crucial things:
It Provides Stability and Permanence.
This is the most important reason. A codified office can't be easily eliminated by a future mayor if they have a different set of priorities. Codification sends a powerful message that this office isn't just a project; it's a permanent promise to the youth of Boston.
It Guarantees a Place in the Budget.
A codified office has it’s responsibilities written into law. This means the city is obligated to fund its work. It doesn't have to fight for its very existence every single budget season (although advocates can certainly advocate for an increase in budget!). It ensures the office has a budget allocated for the staff and resources.It Gives the Office Real Authority and a Clear Mission.
The law officially defines what the office does, who it serves, and what its goals are. It prevents the office's core mission from being weakened, changed, or ignored over time.
So, when we talk about codifying an office like the Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement (OYEA), we are ensuring that our young people will always have a seat at the table and a voice in City Hall, no matter who is in office.
Earlier this year, our office successfully led the charge to codify the Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement. Now, we are using that same energy to cement our city's commitment to its young people.
A Movement Led by Youth
The ordinance to codify OYEA was one of the large projects our youth at Santana’s Youth Force tackled this summer. The ordinance was researched, drafted, and written by these amazing young leaders in partnership with our Policy Director and filed in the City Council on August 6, 2025.
These dedicated individuals played a direct and indispensable role in drafting the language. By ensuring that youth who benefit from OYEA were at the table shaping the legislation, we are making certain that the office’s purpose and duties reflect the true needs of Boston’s Youth.
This is what we mean by truly letting youth lead. We didn't just listen; we handed them the pen.
As DJ, one of our SYF members, said, “It took a lot of time and effort. It's important to have access to resources and feel empowered to find and solve our own issues.”
Codifying OYEA moves us beyond just inviting youth to the table and instead builds them a permanent seat at the very foundation of our government.
Let's work together to affirm that in Boston, young voices don't just matter—they are a permanent, essential part of our government.