On Feb. 21, hundreds of teens from across Boston spent the afternoon at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter in South Boston, engaging with city officials and community members at the third annual Mayor’s Youth Summit.
The event was filled with games and activities, refreshments, youth performances, networking opportunities and a speech from Mayor Michelle Wu.
“It’s really creating a space where we can get engaged young people and really make sure that we’re on their radar and they get on our radar,” said Pedro Cruz, executive director of the city’s Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement, or OYEA. “[It’s] our way of investing in young people and letting them know that the city cares, the administration cares and creating a space where we can celebrate them.”
The Mayor’s Youth Summit aims to support youth in celebrating themselves and building community. It allows students to leave their neighborhoods and school bubbles by providing a space to meet other teenagers from other areas in Boston, as well as to showcase their creativity and talents.
The performance portion of the event, emceed by Amanda Shea, a spoken-word artist and poet, featured youth performances from Boston Music Project, The Center for Teen Empowerment, Community Music Center of Boston, Zumix, Beat the Odds and 617Peak.
With her 1-year-old daughter on her hip, Wu gave a speech commemorating the hundreds of Boston teens who live across the city. Wu was joined by at-large city council members Erin Murphy, John FitzGerald and Henry Santana.
“We don’t just want the adults telling us what the kids need. I want to hear directly from the kids,” Murphy said.
The city council members took questions from students and encouraged civic engagement with local politics and city council offices.
“Our job in the city is to try to make sure every generation, every culture is at home in Boston,” Wu said. “And we need to hear from you what that’s gonna take.”
Matthew Wolterding, the founder of My Beautiful Mind, an arts and culture organization based out of Lowell, Mass., joined Cruz and the event staff in working the summit.
“I asked [Cruz] today, ‘What do you hope people would get out of this? What is your goal?’ and he said ‘saving lives,’ and that really hit me,” Wolterding said.
Launched three years ago, OYEA “uplift[s] young voices in decision-making processes” and helps to advance the lives of youth across Boston, according to the city’s website.
“All the people in the room are committed to making sure that these youth get everything that they need,” said Jeysaun Gant, program manager of My Brother’s Keeper, a program run under the Office of Black Male Advancement.
The summit first took place in 1994 under former Mayor Thomas Menino’s administration but was cut 10 years later in 2004. After a 20-year hiatus, Wu and OYEA relaunched the event in 2024. The events now have a stronger networking aspect while keeping the original talent show format.
“Last year was not as [many] people … I think now there’s more sense of a community,” said Kervin Auguste, a senior in Boston Public Schools.
Jymere Jordan-Toney, an administrative fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital, emphasized the importance of bringing young people together.
“There’s nothing more important than community,” Jordan-Toney said. “It’s so important to continue to build camaraderie and rapport among the young people and to provide those opportunities that are necessary for their development.”
The event began with free time for students to socialize. Activities featured a community mural, origami, a cartoon artist, puzzles and airbrush tattoos.
Wes Boakye is a staff member at Boxaroo, a Boston-based immersive puzzle company known for its puzzles and escape rooms.
“If the most important thing is the future, then the most important people are the youth, right?” Boakye said. “I think anything that is going to be a net positive in the lives of the next generation is worth doing always.”
