Title
Calling on the Office of Youth Engagement to expand its collaboration with the City Council's Committee on Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department (PPR) to strengthen youth leadership, civic participation, and cross-agency coordination, thereby ensuring youth voices are meaningfully integrated into City decision-making.
Body
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia's Office of Youth Engagement (OYE), a division within the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood and Community Engagement, recognizes that young people bring critical perspectives, lived experiences, and bold ideas to the table, all of which are vital to shaping a more inclusive and effective City government; and
WHEREAS, OYE currently supports youth-focused bodies such as the Philadelphia Youth Commission and the Millennial Advisory Committee, which create opportunities for emerging leaders to grow, advocate for their communities, and influence public policy; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department (PPR) has a long-standing history of engaging youth through recreational programming, leadership development, and community building efforts across its network of recreation centers and playgrounds, and has demonstrated its commitment to youth empowerment, as outlined in the 2025 Progress & Priorities Report; and
WHEREAS, During recent Parks and Recreation tours led by members of City Council's Committee on Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs, advocacy from AFSCME District Council 47, and following a visit to the Academy at Palumbo, students shared their concerns about teen-related violence and expressed a strong desire to change the narrative by modeling responsible use of park spaces and encouraging their peers to take advantage of available resources in a positive and productive manner; and
WHEREAS, Collaboration between OYE and PPR-along with the integration of PPR's existing youth advisory groups into OYE's broader engagement framework-will ...
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