Part 5: Investing in our Youth
Part 5 of a series on my priorities as a first-time candidate for Cambridge City Council. Next: Part 6: Addressing Climate Change and Green Space
Our city is in need of programs that serve our young adults. The upsurge in gun violence is one symptom of this failure.
- Investigating Causes
First and foremost, we need deliberate and targeted investigation of the causes of our recent upsurge in youth violence. This can inform potential programs that provide safe, supportive environments for young adults.
2. Programming
Additional programming for workforce and skills training as well as internships with local employers can tie our youth into their local community, hone marketable skills, and forge mentorship relationships. I also support otherwise encouraging our companies and businesses to formally hire more local talent.
Competitions and awards in an unprecedented variety of domains, sponsored by local businesses, are another way to encourage participatory learning, job marketability, self-esteem, and active engagement in the community. Inspired by the Congressional App Challenge, which invites middle and high school students to submit coding projects, the city can organize themed challenges that encourage our youth to submit projects in art, journalism, technology, science, cuisine, or other categories to be judged by local professionals in the field. Winners of these challenges can be publicly honored and all participants can be showcased, gaining them visibility to potential employers and mentors and inspiring others to become involved in such events.
Starting a new tradition of short creative performances by local public school students to begin each city council meeting is another way, not just to inspire and enliven our public meetings with local talent, but to engage more youth and families in community discussion.
Other programs to get students involved in public creative and service projects like community art, urban agriculture, and neighbor assistance can also help further community engagement.
3. Universal Pre-K
Although formally within the purview of the school committee, I support provision of universal access to pre-kindergarten, which puts kids on a path upward from the start and facilitates equitable educational opportunity.
4. Culture and Language Accommodation
Also formally within the purview of the school committee, I support more comprehensive efforts to translate important parental communications to the primary languages of student families, as well as any additional culturally tailored outreach, to ensure informed familial educational involvement.
