Youth programs & schools
Consistent priorityOut-of-school programs, mentoring, early education and school-based supports for children and teens.
Residents consistently ask for affordable after-school and summer programs, safe youth spaces, better-funded school buildings and food, child care, and tutoring and college access.
Theme grouped and summary written with AI from this theme's resident ideas.
281 ideas across three cycles
| Cycle | Ideas | Share of all ideas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 81 | 6.6% | 3 of 20 |
| 2025–26 | 87 | 7.2% | 4 of 20 |
| 2026–27 | 113 | 8.5% | 4 of 20 |
Needs that keep coming back
Affordable after-school, before-school and summer programs
Residents want free or low-cost programs, including before-school care for working parents and options for older teens, available at schools and community centers.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Safe places and activities for youth and teens
Residents say young people have few places to go and ask for centers, teen spaces, sports and mentoring to keep them engaged and out of trouble.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Better school funding, buildings and food
Residents ask for more money for schools, repairs and cooling or ventilation, supplies, and fresher, better school lunches.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Affordable child care
Residents ask for free, subsidized or voucher-based child care so working and single parents can keep their jobs.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Free tutoring, test prep and college access
Residents want free tutoring, SAT and exam prep, and scholarship help so lower-income students have the same chances as peers with private support.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
2024–25
Ideas were wide-ranging, covering school resources and facilities, free indoor playgrounds, college and scholarship help, mentoring, and playground renovations at specific Dorchester schools.
2025–26
Affordable before- and after-school programs for working parents and complaints about school lunches and missing air conditioning were the most common themes.
2026–27
Volume rose to 113 ideas, many short general asks for education funding and youth programs, along with school lunch complaints from students, swim lessons, and youth money-management and career programs.
New in 2026–27
Free swim lessons, reusing old East Boston police stations as youth centers, new or renovated schools in Allston-Brighton, and student reports of pests in school lunches stand out as new or growing.
Funding so far
The winning projects, grants for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth and financial literacy workshops, address two narrower asks, but no winning project yet covers the recurring asks for affordable after-school and summer programs, child care, school buildings and food, or tutoring.
Projects are linked to themes by matching each project's description to the themes; this is not an official City classification.
Programs Supporting Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Youth
2024–25 · $250,000
This proposal will offer grants to nonprofit organizations to support youth ages 14-21 who are formerly or currently incarcerated, helping them build a brighter future.
Youth Financial Literacy and Empowerment Workshops
2025–26 · $250,000
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
- Boston Public Schools
- BCYF
Suggested with AI; not an official assignment of responsibility.
Ideas in Youth programs & schools
281 ideas
2024–25: 81 · 2025–26: 87 · 2026–27: 113
- Improve quality and freshness of school lunchesA student reports that school lunches are days old and poorly made, and says they found a pest in their fruit.2026–27City-wide
- Better school lunches for Boston studentsA student asks for better school lunches after finding a worm in an orange, saying good food helps students focus in class.2026–27City-wide
- Better school lunches in Boston schoolsA student asks for better school lunches after finding a worm in their food at their school.2026–27City-wide
- Fix broken bathroom mirrors at Tech BostonThe resident asks for broken mirrors in the bathrooms at Tech Boston to be fixed, saying the bathrooms are unusable.2026–27City-wide
- Inclusive playground at Harvard-Kent schoolyardThe resident proposes transforming Harvard-Kent's aging, unsafe schoolyard into a safe, inclusive, sensory-friendly playground and community space for diverse learners, including students in its ABA strand.2026–27Charlestown
- Income-tiered daycare vouchersThe resident asks for daycare vouchers with tiers based on family income to make child care accessible.2026–27City-wide
- More ESL programming in Boston Public SchoolsThe resident asks for expanded English as a Second Language programming in BPS.2026–27City-wide
- K-6 elementary school in Allston-BrightonThe resident asks for a new K-6 elementary school in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood.2026–27Allston
- New high school in Allston or BrightonThe resident asks for a new high school to be built in the Allston or Brighton neighborhood.2026–27Allston
- K-6 school in Allston or BrightonResident asks for a new K-6 school in Allston or Brighton.2026–27Allston
- Renovate the high school in BrightonResident asks for renovation of the high school in Brighton.2026–27Brighton
- Free sports and equipment in Allston-BrightonResident asks for free sports programs including equipment in Allston-Brighton, since gear is expensive and this would make sports accessible to all.2026–27Allston
- More money for school studentsThe resident asks for more money to be given to students for schools.2026–27City-wide
- More wrestling opportunities for Boston youthThe resident asks for more wrestling opportunities in Boston to give youth a constructive activity that builds exercise, resilience and community bonds.2026–27City-wide
- Improve public school curriculumThe resident asks for an upgrade to public school curriculum for better schooling.2026–27City-wide
- Reuse Meridian St police station for youth spacesThe resident asks to fix up the long-unused old police station on Meridian Street in East Boston and give it to youth organizations as youth space, so youth have a place to gather.2026–27City-wide
- Fund school quality over bigger buildingsThe resident asks the City to spend more money on schools rather than making them bigger, to give kids a better education.2026–27City-wide
- Turn old East Boston police station into youth centerThe resident asks to renovate the old police station in East Boston into a youth center offering free programs for teens.2026–27City-wide
- Cleaner parks and more events for teensThe resident asks for cleaner parks and more events for teens so they have a place to go.2026–27City-wide
- More youth spaces and YMCA-style afterschool gamesResident asks for more spaces for youth and more YMCA-style games like Boston afterschool programs, to bring people together.2026–27City-wide