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
- $500,000 for school-year youth jobs and fellowshipsResident asks for $500,000 to bring back school-year youth jobs and fellowships at community groups, including for immigrant youth.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 community groups, including for immigrant youth, because marginalized communities are hurt by lost funding.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 community groups, including for immigrant youth.2026–27City-wide
- Fund school-year youth jobsResident asks the City to restore funding for school-year youth jobs, which help mostly low-income teens of color support themselves and their families.2026–27City-wide
- Restore $500,000 for school-year youth jobsResident asks for at least $500,000 to restore school-year youth jobs through community organizations, so low-income youth and youth of color can access opportunity and programming.2026–27City-wide
- Restore $500,000 for school-year youth jobsResident asks for at least $500,000 to restore funding for community organizations to provide school-year youth jobs, including for immigrant youth, so youth can build skills and support families.2026–27City-wide
- Fund youth jobs and community centersResident asks that the money go to youth jobs and community centers.2026–27City-wide
- More jobs for young peopleResident asks for more work opportunities for young people, saying they are needed.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Jobs for teenagersResident asks for jobs for teens, who need money for needs and family, and to make friends, learn and have fun.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Fund citywide youth jobs at $500,000 minimumResident asks for at least half a million dollars for citywide youth jobs, which give teens of color needed resume experience and an entry point to work.2026–27City-wide
- More school-year youth jobs, prioritizing immigrant youthResident asks for more funding for youth jobs during the school year, with immigrant youth eligible and prioritized, targeting by zip code and income, and partnering with justice organizations.2026–27City-wide
- Restore funding for after-school youth jobsThe resident asks the City to restore $500,000 cut from this year's budget for after-school jobs, so low-income Black and brown youth can get jobs at nonprofits.2026–27City-wide
- Paid teen and underemployed civic work with union workersResident asks for contracts paying teens and underemployed residents, alongside union workers, to fill potholes and build green infrastructure, teaching skills and giving back.2025–26City-wide
- Cosmetology and beauty school for young peopleResident proposes a cosmetology school because many young people already do hair but are not licensed.2025–26City-wide
- Youth resume-building events and more teen jobsResident asks for more youth resume-building events and teen jobs to keep kids out of trouble and prepare them for the future.2025–26City-wide
- Year-round funded youth jobsResident asks for a program funding year-round youth jobs, since many low-income youth help their families pay bills.2025–26City-wide
- Put at least $50,000 into youth jobsResident asks the city to dedicate at least $50,000 to more youth jobs so households can earn extra income, with access open to all youth.2025–26City-wide
- Career day on less common professionsResident proposes a career day convention exposing students to careers like researcher, epidemiologist and technical trades, so they see professionals who look like them.2025–26City-wide
- Guaranteed income pilot for ages 18 to 26The resident proposes a guaranteed basic income initiative for young adults 18 to 26, with a public college researching its impact, to help close opportunity gaps.2025–26Dorchester
- Profession-teaching projects for local youthResident asks for projects that teach professions to young people in the community so residents can live better.2025–26East Boston