by Dianne Anderson

When the Long Beach Youth Advisory Council first gets in front of city leaders, watching the inner workings of civic duty in real time, seeing how the hobnob of the electoral elite — it can be a bit much.

But youth are resilient quick learners, both in their personal lives and in government.

Now in its fourth year, the city is calling for its next council of 11 young leaders to help shape the Youth and Emerging Adults Strategic Plan, guiding the Measure US Youth Fund, organizing an annual Youth Summit, and advancing positive youth development citywide.

“The Youth Advisory Council is a vital space for young leaders to share their voices and ideas,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “By participating, local youth will make a lasting impact in Long Beach by driving positive change and helping shape the future of our community.”

David McGill Soriano said the experience of being in policy-making circles can be daunting at first.

“It’s a process they’re unfamiliar with – uncharted waters. Our job is to get them through the process, to become professionals and comfortable with it. Many of our youth advisors, after they finish their council, are prepared to step onto city commissions,” said McGill Soriano, Youth Development Manager in the Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Youth Development.

Applications are open through July 31. If selected, youth will earn a $50 stipend per meeting, up to $1,100 for a year of service, plus coaching and growth opportunities from City staff.

So far, many of their youth have served on Women and Girls Commissions, Youth and Families Commissions, and Equity and Human Relations Commissions. Some landed full-time jobs related to youth development, community organizing and have gone on to work in different sectors.

Over a 12-month term, Long Beach youth 16 to 26 will meet twice a month. In the program, they will work with city leadership and public officials on issues that impact local youth to push good policies forward.

“We want young people who can represent the lived experience, the voice and issues that we’re working on. We want a good mix of high school and transition-age youth,” McGill Soriano said.

Staff members and young people, usually former Youth Advisory Council members, make up the selection committee that chooses youth from diverse perspectives, equity, youth who struggled with foster care, homelessness, or the justice system.

The process is about collective effort.

“How is this group of young people going to function together? Are they going to have chemistry? Do we need more representation in certain aspects? What areas and neighborhoods? We think of the totality of the circumstances,” he said.

McGill Soriano started the council in 2021, developing curriculum, and uniting youth ambassadors to decide how the youth advisory would function and ways to amplify their voices at every level of government.

“Young people came together to design sessions, what the curriculum looks like, and what ways to ensure an effective body – not just tokenized or looks cool, but has meaningful, intentional impact,” he said.

At the same time, LA and LA County were starting similar projects. They partnered with the city and county to have more regional impact and they also collaborate with regions every year.

He said it’s important for departments and entities to know that bringing in youth voices is not a burden, but can elevate their work to make it more courageous, more real, and more intentional.

Each year, they pull about 100 applications from local youth. Not everyone makes the cut, but he said they never turn applicants away without offering more program options.

“We always offer them another position – multiple options, including various community advisory councils or collaboratives. We offer them multiple opportunities,” he said.

Those who get into the program focus on chipping away at the local need, which is everywhere, but they deal with solutions one issue at a time.

“When you think about the whole landscape, it can be overwhelming to the point where you don’t want to work on it anymore,” he said.

But they take it in small steps.

Each advisory council is from a different city council district, representing different schools, different parks, and different neighborhoods.

“It’s on their block, neighborhood, and school,” he said. “They can have a big impact on what’s going on in their community, at their school, and how our city programs are being rolled out. We try to get them focused on the local things that they can have an impact on, on what they can have control over.”

Applications can be submitted online at the Office of Youth Development’s Youth Advisory Council website, or stop by the Ronald R. Arias Health Equity Center, any Long Beach Public Library, or Parks, Recreation, and Marine Teen Center to get help submitting the application.

To fill out the application:
See https://bit.ly/46DHpmc

For other city youth programs, see https://www.longbeach.gov/health/healthy-living/community/community-impact/office-of-youth-development/