At this week's Round Table, Jack, Kenisha, Madeline, and Maya spoke with Aissata Diallo, Jolina Jimenez, and Mukilan Muthukumar, members of the NYC Youth Agenda Steering Committee representing CUNY’s Intergenerational Change Initiative and YVote and discussing the 2023 Agenda that will be released at a policy breakfast on Feb 21st. We talked about what exactly the NYC Youth Agenda is, how it came to be, and what it hopes to achieve. We discussed the value of local data gathering; the unique perspective youth bring to policy making, and government more broadly, especially locally; the power of cross-organizational youth coalitions; and the motivation that comes from knowing that we are making a tangible difference. We grappled with the very real struggle to be heard and taken seriously by elected officials, especially as young people–but how it compels us even MORE to do the work we do. Overall, we are encouraged by our progress so far—and know how much further we can and must go. Thank you for listening!
