2024-2025 Annual Report
M A Y 8 , 2 0 2 5
N E I G H B O R H O O D S E R V I C E S & E D U C A T I O N C O M M I T T E E
COMMISSIONER ARROYO
District 4
COMMISSIONER SANCHEZ
District 3, Chair
COMMISSIONER
PRADEEPKUMAR
District 2, Outreach
COMMISSIONER MISHRA
District 1
COMMISSIONER LIEU
District 5, Vice Chair
COMMISSIONER KUCHAREWSKI
Citywide
COMMISSIONER
MASCARENHAS
District 10, Chair
COMMISSIONER SINGH
District 9
COMMISSIONER
GONZALES-MUÑIZ
District 8
COMMISSIONER VU
District 7
COMMISSIONER BANSAL
District 6, Communications 2
OUTREACH PLAN
Promote Youth Commission and
Youth Advisory Council (YAC)
events, connect with communitybased organizations, and develop partnerships to support the
Youth Commission work plan.
Objectives
Channels
Strategies
Metrics for Success
Increase the number of youths who know
about the Youth Commission and participate in
YACs.
Promote via social media, develop flyers, and
share information with schools and youth
organizations.
Youth Commission social media, school
distribution lists, local libraries, community
centers, Councilmember newsletters, attending
community events, and hosting town halls and
summits.
Engagement across social media, youth
participation in District YACs and Youth
Commission events, District YAC and Youth
Commission applications, and YAC Participation
Survey. 3
YOUTH PRIORITIES SURVEY
The Youth Commission creates and
distributes an annual survey to youth
throughout San José. The survey serves as
a tool for gauging youth priorities and
sentiments toward various issues and
Commission activities. This year, the survey
collected 463 responses. These responses illustrate opportunities for outreach around program and resource
awareness. The Youth Commission's work
plan supports increasing youth
engagement in the design and
implementation of community programs
and overall participation in local
government.
Do you agree with the following statement:
The local City of San José government reflects youth priorities.
Importance of Issues on a scale of 1 (lowest priority) to 5 (highest priority) Strongly Disagree
4.2% Strongly Agree
7.5%
Somewhat
Disagree
12.5%
Neutral / I don’t
know
46.1%
Somewhat Agree
29.8%
4 EXPLORE AND
UNDERSTAND
GENDER-BASED
VIOLENCE RESOURCES &
SERVICES • Collaborate with local organizations
and city departments to conduct
research and support a youth-led
awareness campaign addressing
sexual harassment, assault/domestic
violence, and healthy relationships. • Host and event featuring community partners and organizations that
provide support services and
resources for mental health, safety,
and drug awareness education.
5 FOSTER ENVIRONMENTAL
LITERACY AND YOUTH
STEWARDSHIP TO CREATE A
MORE SUSTAINABLE SAN JOSÉ
• Collaborate with local organizations and
city departments to launch a youth-led
awareness campaign demonstrating the
impact of environmental issues like
invasive plant species, microplastics, and
recycling and composting practices. • Collaborate with BeautifySJ and Youth Empowerment Alliance to participate in
litter pick-ups, dumpster days, etc.
6 EVALUATE AND STUDY COLLEGE AND
CAREER PATHWAYS AND LITERACY
OPPORTUNITIES IN SAN JOSÉ
• Receive reports on College and Career Pathways
programs and initiatives, including the
Resilience Corps Learning Pathway, San José
Works Youth Jobs Initiative, and teen programs. • Conduct a Youth Budget Priority Session and citywide youth survey to gather insight and
input from youth on budget priorities.
7 ESTABLISH AND
IMPLEMENT THE
SAN JOSÉ YOUTH
COMMISSION
INNOVATION COMMITTEE • Establish a committee structure, develop a comprehensive engagement
strategy, and provide regular Youth
Commission updates. • Encourage innovative approaches to identify community issues relating to
homelessness, creek clean-up, and
pedestrian safety.
8 13
YOUTH ADVISORY
COUNCILS (YAC)
The average number of hours spent by
41 Youth Advisory Council members
across San José was spent on activities
such as attending YAC meetings,
supporting district events, and doing
policy research.
51 The average number of hours spent by
the 11 Youth Commissioners on
activities such as attending general
meetings, coordinating YAC meetings,
conducting community outreach, and
crafting policy recommendations.
These councils provide valuable input
and insights on policies and programs
directly impacting young people.
From June 2024 to April 2025, Youth
Commission and Youth Advisory
Council members volunteered a
combined 1,085 service hours in
dedication to Youth Commission
activities and events.
9 YAC PARTICIPATION
This year, the Youth Commission
established an online application to
encourage participation and boost YAC
recruitment efforts citywide. This digital
approach has helped streamline the YAC
recruitment process and increase
accessibility for interested youth, receiving
over 235 applications since August 2024.
Additionally, the Youth Commission
established a participation survey for youth
volunteers who participated in individual
District YAC meetings or Youth Commission
events to better understand who is
participating and gather program
feedback.
Is District YAC Preference Different from the District the Applicant Resides YAC Program Satisfaction from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) 10 YOUTH IN ACTION
In addition to the work plan, the
Youth Commission has: • Participated in a joint special meeting with the Library and
Education Commission, receiving
an update on the Children and
Youth Services Master Plan, • And hosted multiple youthfocused community events, including the Creative Futures
Fair.
Creative Futures Fair
Community Events
The Creative Futures Fair brought together 34 youthled businesses, 30 student musicians, and 60 high school volunteers to create a powerful platform for
young entrepreneurs that attracted nearly 300
community members and featured inspiring speeches
from Councilmembers Doan and Campos. This event
is in it's second year.
Organized diverse community events including the
Youth Budget Summit, park cleanups, an Eco-Swap,
a Gender-Based Violence awareness event, the A.I.M.
career conference, tree planting initiatives, clothing
and food drives, a Youth Voter Summit, and various
cultural celebrations and educational workshops.
Joint Commission Meeting
Joined the Library and Education Commission for a
Joint Special Meeting on March 19, 2024, to review
and discuss the Children and Youth Services Master
Plan update.
11 WEBSITE
EMAIL ADDRESS
www.sjpl.org/YouthCommission
[email protected]
Thank you!