The City of Houston Youth Ambassadors

Who We Are

The City of Houston Youth Ambassador Program is a civic engagement program that equips youth with critical professional and leadership skills to create transformative change in their communities. The youth ambassadors, ages 12-18, work in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Education and Youth Engagement (MOEYE), aiming to ensure youth voice is represented in the decision-making processes of their communities. 

The program provides opportunities for youth to exercise their leadership skills through committees, youth-led projects, and community events. The program runs from September to June, and during that time, ambassadors share their perspectives on the issues of importance to Houston youth, learn more about the issues from key stakeholders and field experts, and collaborate to develop solutions to the challenges they identified. 

Goals

• Prepare youth for leadership roles and expose them to the duties/responsibilities of public service and community leadership roles 
• Educate youth on local government and community issues in Houston
• Increase awareness and access to local, statewide, and national civic engagement and decision-making opportunities

Our Work

• 400+ Houston youth have participated in the COH Youth Ambassador program.
• Analyzed data and developed program and policy recommendations for a CFCI Youth and Family Report on how to address youth challenges.
• Served on the intergenerational committee to develop the Houston Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights.
• Developed three youth-led Mental Health in Schools workshops. Data collected was shared at the 6th Annual Center for School Behavioral Health Mental Health Conference.
• Developed design and curated content for the City of Houston Youth Mental Health Guide.
• Developed Another Step for Youth, a child rights podcast, where youth ambassadors discuss current issues and community challenges with city leaders and field experts.

Resource Links

• Education Home Page
• Youth Engagement Page
• Another Step for Youth Podcast
• Emergency Preparation Resources for Youth
• Youth Mental Health Guide