Youth Speaks Boston
The first-ever citywide assessment to focus on the needs of Boston residents ages 14 to 25 during afterschool and after-work hours.
Youth Speaks Boston is a citywide needs assessment that collected information directly from Boston’s young people about what they are experiencing and how the City of Boston can better support them outside of school and work. The goal is a clearer understanding of the factors that influence the lives of young people and of how we can help Boston’s youth thrive.
The Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement (OYEA) collected survey responses from 1650 residents of Boston ages 14-25 years old between November 2024 and August 2025. In addition to the survey, 6 focus groups were held during this time-period, engaging more than 100 young people to further understand their perspectives.
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1481 TREMONT STREET BOSTON, MA 02120
Findings
Learn about our key findings from the Youth Speaks Boston survey and focus groups, and explore the data dashboard.
Storymap and Dashboard
The priority of this initiative is to use the findings, collected directly from 14- 25-year-olds about their needs and experiences, to inform how the City of Boston and its youth-serving partners can better support young people. The information collected through this survey is displayed and accessible in two ways:
- StoryMap: The Youth Speaks Boston StoryMap (above) highlights the large-scale findings for each theme across the survey, and visualizes the information in a narrative-driven and reader-friendly design. This StoryMap includes high-level datapoints complemented by quotes directly from the young people of Boston, providing a holistic understanding of the themes being addressed.
- Data Dashboard: The Youth Speaks Boston Data Dashboard (below) allows all youth-serving professionals to access the data and apply the findings to their work. The dashboard allows individuals to take a closer look at the survey findings across all topics, and use dynamic filters to analyze the responses for more targeted data relating to the specific youth community they serve.
Partners
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston Children’s Hospital is a leader in pediatric health and well-being, committed to ensuring children and teens across the city have access to quality care and resources.
Boston Public Health Commission
Boston Public Health Commission is dedicated to promoting health equity, offering vital public health services, and supporting the well-being of all Boston residents.
Challenging Health inequity in Adolescents and Nurturing Global Empowerment (CHANGE) Lab
CHANGE Lab focuses on using research and data to drive meaningful change in communities, with a particular emphasis on youth and urban settings.
Who's Involved:
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1481 TREMONT STREET BOSTON, MA 02120
