Long Beach residents ages 13 to 26 are invited to Youth Connect, a three-day event series focused on empowering youth to build life skills, get involved in civic engagement and create community connections.
The event series is led by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Youth Development and will take place at various locations throughout Long Beach. Activities will include a youth voter fair, a fireside chat with Mayor Rex Richardson, a career panel and workforce resource fair.
“Young people are at the heart of Long Beach’s future—their ideas, creativity and leadership help shape the direction of our city,” Richardson said in a public statement. “Youth Connect provides our young residents the opportunity to learn valuable skills and connect to like-minded people in their communities.”
Youth Connect coincides with the voting period for the fourth year of Youth Power Participatory Budgeting Long Beach, taking place now through April 28. Those ages 12 to 26 who live, work or play in Long Beach are encouraged to participate and help decide how public funds will be invested in youth-centered programs.
The three Youth Connect events are as follows:
- Youth Connect Through Voting – Tuesday, April 21, from 4 to 7 p.m. at City Hall (411 W. Ocean Blvd.): This day will offer opportunities to engage in the participatory budgeting process. Youth can talk to community organizations that have projects on the ballot and learn more about them before they cast their vote. Youth will also learn about local resources while enjoying food, entertainment and other activities.
- Youth Connect through Culture – Saturday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at City Hall (411 W. Ocean Blvd.): Young people are invited to participate in a fireside chat with the Mayor, featuring a special guest, to celebrate youth culture in the city. The event will also feature an activation at City Hall Plaza with various activities around wellness, art and play.
- Youth Connect through Climate Action – Thursday, April 30, from noon to 6 p.m. at Long Beach City College Trade (1305 E Pacific Coast Hwy): Focusing on climate action and workforce development, planned activities for this event include a career exploration panel and a green jobs workforce resource fair.
“Youth Connect will provide young people with meaningful opportunities to not only connect to valuable community resources, but to directly influence how public funding is invested in programs and projects that impact their lives,” said Health and Human Services Director Alison King in a public statement.
This year’s event, which is funded by youth development dollars from Measure US and supports the City’s Youth and Emerging Adults Strategic Plan. As outlined in the plan, the City will host an annual event to increase access to open spaces and recreation programming, while fostering physical activity, community connections and safe places for youth and families to gather.
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