Youth jobs & fellowships
Paid, year-round and school-year work, internships and fellowships that give Boston teens and young adults income and work experience.
Residents consistently ask for paid, year-round youth jobs with fair pay, especially for youth of color, low-income and immigrant teens, plus trade and career pathways.
Theme grouped and summary written with AI from this theme's resident ideas.
192 ideas across three cycles
| Cycle | Ideas | Share of all ideas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 77 | 6.3% | 4 of 20 |
| 2025–26 | 23 | 1.9% | 19 of 20 |
| 2026–27 | 92 | 6.9% | 5 of 20 |
Needs that keep coming back
Year-round paid youth jobs
Residents want youth work that lasts the full year rather than a short summer or eight-month season, with 2024-25 ideas often asking for $18-24 an hour.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Income and equity for families of color and low-income families
Many ideas say youth jobs help Black, brown and low-income young people support their households and gain fair access to work experience.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Trade, career exploration and skills training
Residents ask for free trade classes, career exposure and vocational pathways so young people can reach skilled work.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Longer fellowships and jobs for immigrant youth
Residents want immigrant youth to have longer, paid, school-year programs with stipends, mentorship and work experience.
Raised in 2025–26, 2026–27
2024–25
Nearly all of the 77 ideas called for year-round youth jobs paying $18-24 an hour, often as a pilot, and asked the City to use the full $5 million set aside for participatory budgeting.
2025–26
Only 23 ideas came in, scattered across topics, with a clear cluster asking to extend the 10-week Immigrant Youth Advancement fellowship to 10 months.
2026–27
Most of the 92 ideas asked to restore a $500,000 budget cut for school-year youth jobs and fellowships at community organizations, including for immigrant youth.
New in 2026–27
New in 2026-27 are asks to restore a specific $500,000 cut to school-year jobs, put youth jobs in the city budget instead of philanthropy, offer winter jobs, and expand PowerCorps-style programs, plus one objection to limits on youth job applications.
Funding so far
The one winning project, Youth Financial Literacy and Empowerment Workshops ($250,000), serves youth at job sites but does not fund jobs, so year-round paid jobs, school-year jobs and immigrant youth fellowships, and free trade training are not yet addressed by a winning project.
Projects are linked to themes by matching each project's description to the themes; this is not an official City classification.
Youth Financial Literacy and Empowerment Workshops
2025–26 · $250,000 · related theme
This proposal provides financial literacy workshops at youth job sites, local events, and colleges for young people ages 14-24.
Departments that often lead this work
- Office of Workforce Development
- BCYF
- Boston Public Schools
Suggested with AI; not an official assignment of responsibility.
Ideas in Youth jobs & fellowships
192 ideas
2024–25: 77 · 2025–26: 23 · 2026–27: 92
- Restore $500,000 for youth jobs and fellowshipsThe resident asks to use $500,000 to restore funding for community organizations to offer school-year youth jobs and fellowships for youth generally and immigrant youth.2026–27City-wide
- Restore $500,000 for school-year youth jobsThe resident asks to use $500,000 to restore funding for community organizations to provide school-year youth jobs and fellowships.2026–27City-wide
- School-year youth jobs and fellowshipsThe resident asks for school-year jobs and fellowships for youth generally and for immigrant youth.2026–27City-wide
- Restore $500,000 for school-year youth jobsRestore $500,000 cut from the Mayor's budget so community organizations can offer school-year youth jobs and fellowships, including for immigrant youth, to support a diverse and equitable workforce.2026–27City-wide
- Restore school-year youth jobs and fellowships fundingResident asks to use $500,000 to restore community organization funding for school-year youth jobs and fellowships, including for immigrant youth, reversing a budget cut long advocated against by youth groups.2026–27City-wide
- Restore school-year youth jobs and fellowships fundingResident asks to use $500,000 to restore community organization funding for school-year youth jobs and fellowships, including for immigrant youth, giving kids in Roxbury and Dorchester constructive after-school options.2026–27City-wide
- Restore school-year youth jobs and fellowships fundingResident asks to use $500,000 to restore funding for community organizations to offer school-year youth jobs and fellowships, including for immigrant youth, instead of over-policing.2026–27City-wide
- Half a million for youth jobs and immigrant fellowshipsResident asks to use $500,000 for school-year youth jobs and immigrant youth fellowships, flexible between both, to offset $5.25 million in cuts hurting low-income families.2026–27City-wide
- Fund school-year youth jobs in the city budgetResident asks that school-year youth jobs be part of the city budget rather than relying on private funding and philanthropy.2026–27City-wide
- $500,000 to restore school-year teen jobsResident asks for $500,000 to restore school-year youth jobs and fellowships at nonprofits after funding cuts, giving teens in disadvantaged communities work experience and leadership development.2026–27City-wide
- Restore school-year youth jobs at nonprofitsResident asks to use funding to bring back school-year youth jobs at community organizations, giving low-income Black and Latino teens income, leadership and workforce experience.2026–27City-wide
- $500,000 for school-year youth jobs and fellowshipsResident asks for $500,000 to bring back school-year youth jobs and fellowships at nonprofits, including for immigrant youth.2026–27City-wide
- School-year youth jobsResident asks for school-year youth jobs to keep kids engaged, give them purpose in contributing to the community and teach skills they need.2026–27City-wide
- Supplemental $500,000 to restore youth jobsResident asks for a supplementary budget of at least $500,000 to offset the city's cut to youth jobs and provide opportunity for disadvantaged kids.2026–27City-wide
- $500,000 for youth jobs, including immigrantsResident asks for at least $500,000 to directly employ students and youth, especially in summer and including immigrant youth and youth of color.2026–27City-wide
- $500,000 for school-year youth jobsResident asks for $500,000 to fund school-year jobs for young people, providing financial security, work skills and school engagement, mainly for BIPOC youth from struggling families.2026–27City-wide
- $500,000 for school-year youth jobs and fellowshipsResident asks for half a million dollars for school-year youth jobs and community fellowships, including immigrant youth, to restore cuts that hurt low-income Black and Brown communities.2026–27City-wide
- School-year jobs for youthResident asks for school-year jobs for young people.2026–27City-wide
- $500,000 for school-year youth jobs, including immigrant youthResident asks for $500,000 to bring back school-year youth jobs with community organizations, including for immigrant youth.2026–27City-wide
- $500,000 for school-year youth jobs and paid fellowshipsResident asks for $500,000 for school-year jobs and paid fellowships for immigrant and non-immigrant youth in fields like trades and healthcare, to build savings, skills and household income.2026–27City-wide