Mission

We educate and mobilize New Yorkers to make the city a better place for children. Our advocacy combines public policy research and data analysis with citizen action. We cast light on the issues, educate the public, engage allies, and identify and promote practical solutions to ensure that every New York City child is healthy, housed, educated and safe.

Activities

YouthAction NYC is our after-school program for high school students interested in learning to advocate on behalf of themselves, their schools and their communities. Students research and discuss the issues that matter to them- and then graduate from the program with the skills they need to make positive changes for children and youth.

Students enter YouthAction NYC through the YouthAction Community Leadership Course (YCLC), which is a free 10-week course, held in the fall and spring, which teaches high school students how to become effective advocates. Students conduct their own research, do public polling, visit community-based organizations, and interview community leaders. They learn how to develop their own solutions to problems their communities face and meet with elected and appointed government officials to present recommendations for change.

Eligibility