Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement

Were you a member of Onein3 or SPARK Boston? We want to connect! OYEA is building our network of SPARK alumni so that we can share news, engagement opportunities, and social events with all of you. Visit boston.gov/spark to fill out our alumni contact form!

We closed out an incredible summer with one final Boston After Dark last week! Our BCYF Curley event was a special celebration on the beach with youth joining from across the city. Thanks to everyone who joined us at Boston After Dark this summer! Stay tuned for more events coming soon!

Last week we pulled up to Parkway YMCA, BCYF Gallivan, and BCYF Charlestown for Boston After Dark! As the summer comes to a close, we hope you'll join us for one last extra special Boston After Dark: Beach Edition! This Friday, we'll be at the BCYF Curley from 5-8pm. Visit boston.gov/after-dark

We brought Boston After Dark to BCYF Curtis Hall last Friday! Our portraits, youth DJ, ice cream, free food, and inflatables made this night special. Thanks to everyone who joined us, and make sure you don't miss out on our last two weeks of Boston After Dark! Boston.gov/after-dark ☀️

Last Thursday, the MYC Summer Ambassadors hosted a Youth Town Hall at BCYF Tobin! We had games, free food, and exciting giveaways of merch and Red Sox tickets! Thanks to everyone who showed up and voiced their ideas for Boston's youth, and to our MYC Ambassadors for a great summer of programming 🎉

We are excited to announce our upcoming five professional development trainings, completely free for Boston-area youth-serving professionals. Join us for: RSVP today at boston.gov/professional-development. See you soon!

Happy International Youth Day, Boston! As you continue to inspire new ideas for Boston's future, we are here if you need any support. Visit Boston.gov/youthline to find our resource directory, community calendar, and newsletter sign-up so you can stay in touch!

Last week we hosted Boston After Dark at Commonwealth BHA! Swipe through for some of the highlights and don't miss out on our last three weeks of Boston After Dark events! Boston.gov/after-dark

🛟 Safety is Cool at the Pool! Join us TOMORROW, from 12–3 p.m. at Madison Park High School for a free, family-friendly Water Safety Day. Enjoy in-water activities while learning important water safety skills. Register: https://www.boston.gov/calendar/water-safety-day

This week, we said goodbye to our 2025-26 SPARK Council members 🥲 We’re so grateful for the hard work of this Council and can’t wait to see all the ways they continue their engagement with us post-SPARK! ✨

Last week we brought Boston After Dark to Draper Pool! Our youth DJ, portraits, ice cream, and barbeque helped make this a great night. Thanks to everyone who joined us, and make sure you come back this week! boston.gov/after-dark

We had a blast last Thursday with our Partner Network for our annual Partner Celebration! We enjoyed great food, music, and company. Special thanks to Tiki Cove and their staff for hosting us in their amazing space ✨

Last weekend, our community showed OUT for Boston After Dark! We tripled the fun for our Boston teens last Friday at Moakley Park, BCYF Tobin, and BHA Franklin Field. Make sure you check out the next event by you! Go to boston.gov/after-dark

Last week's Friday night programming featured Boston After Dark at both Mildred Hailey BHA and Menino YMCA! We had all the usual music and fun, plus a sundae bar and video games! Make sure you don't miss out on the rest of this summer's festivities: go to boston.gov/after-dark

Last weekend, we activated the newly renovated Copley Square with our first-ever Select Markets vintage market collaboration!! Thanks to the thousands of you that came out to enjoy the weather, shopping, caricatures, tattoos, and music with us. A special thanks to Select for being great partners! 🔜🤫

Introducing our 2026 Summer Ambassadors! They'll be hosting civic engagement workshops and town halls for their peers, with lots of fun Boston activities in between. Reach out to myc@boston.gov if you'd like to host a workshop for your youth group and for other collaborations!

Boston After Dark was a blast last Friday! 🎉 At BCYF Menino and BCYF Nazzaro, we had ice cream, free food, basketball tournaments, caricature drawings, games, and DJs from YOU Boston 🏀 Don't miss the events near you this summer, go to Boston.gov/after-dark

Last Friday, we kicked off Boston After Dark 2026 with over 100 attendees at BCYF Blackstone! Shoutout to YMCA, Boston Centers for Youth & Families Boston Housing Authority and Boston Children's Hospital for supporting the fun all summer long🤝 Check out the events near you at Boston.gov/after-dark

This month we launched our Youth Access Series in partnership with DICK's House of Sport, which allows youth-serving programs to bring young people to the store throughout the summer to use the various sporting facilities. Check availability and sign-up for a time slot at at boston.gov/oyea-links.

Food, DJs, giveaways, and more are all back at Boston After Dark! Don't miss the events in your neighborhood every Friday night this summer. Check boston.gov/after-dark for the details!

This year, our OYEA Professional Development Series hosted 22 free trainings led by 14 different youth work experts. See you back in September for more free opportunities -- stay tuned here and on boston.gov/professional-development

⚠️🌧️🐸 We’re sad to share that our Frog Pond Spray Pool celebration originally planned for tomorrow, June 23 has been POSTPONED due to inclement weather. It will now be taking place on Wednesday, July 1 at 11:00 a.m. To learn more about the Frog Pond visit boston.gov/frogpond.

Boston After Dark is back this summer 2026! Mark your calendars for our on Friday, June 26 from 5 to 7pm at BCYF Blackstone ⚽ Check out boston.gov/after-dark for events in your neighborhood all summer long🎉

#TBT to our collab with Don't Tell Comedy in April! We welcomed young adults into City Hall for a free Boston After Dark comedy show and had a blast enjoying free food, portraits by Nick Shea, and an amazing show! Sign up for our newsletter for more free 19+ events coming soon! 📸: Varun Mummadi

Last week, we welcomed our Partner Network to our beautiful new City space at 26 Court Street! Thank you to our youth-serving colleagues from across City departments who came to share their knowledge and engage with the Network. We hope everyone has a great summer!

Youth-serving providers are invited to join us on Thursday, June 11 for a free training on combatting compassion fatigue. In this two hour event, participants will enjoy free breakfast, network, and be reminded of their youth work "why." To register, visit boston.gov/professional-development.

It’s a hot one today and we all have a role to play in caring for our communities. Please check-in on your loved ones and neighbors. We have safety tips and cooling resources on boston.gov/heat. Stay cool and stay safe, everyone.

Join us at the Court Street Municipal Building for our May Partner Network meeting! Breakfast provided as always. For meeting details, join our partner network: boston.gov/oyea-partners

🖌️ What do you submit? An original design that reflects what the library means to you and your community — perhaps an interpretation of our motto “Free to All”? The contest will run from May 15 through June 15, 2026. Good luck! www.bpl.org/boston-publi...

Back Bay/Beacon Hill's Neighborhood Coffee Hour will also be the Copley Square Ribbon Cutting Celebration! Don't miss it as we officially unveil the reimagined park! 📍Back Bay/Beacon Hill, Copley Square Park 🗓️ Wednesday, May 27 ⏰ 10:30-11:30 a.m.

☕ Coffee Hours are back! This is your chance to share ideas, ask questions, and help shape the future of your neighborhood all while you enjoy free Dunkin' coffee & donuts, and lawn games. 🤝 🍩 📍Chinatown & Bay Village, Elliot Norton Park 🗓️ Monday, May 18 ⏰ 10:30-11:30 a.m. #Boston #CoffeeHours

Check out our next four professional development workshops, completely free for Boston-area youth-serving professionals. Learn more and RSVP today at boston.gov/professional-development. See you soon!

It’s a wonderful week to get active outside! ☀️ Through the Parks Fitness series, @parks.boston.gov and @publichealth.boston.gov are offering free exercise classes all week, for all levels, all around Boston. See the link below to see the full class list.

Today we're doing a partner spotlight on Community Through Theater, which hosts free theater outings for LGBTQ+ 14-24 year olds in Boston! We tagged along with them to visit the WNDR Museum and then see Kinky Boots at Citizens Opera House last month. Learn more at communitythroughtheater.org.

Apply to join the 2026-27 Mayor's Youth Council and make change in your city! Boston high schoolers can now submit their application to represent their peers in City government. Visit boston.gov/myc to learn more! ⭐

ICYMI: At Friday's Teen Celebration, we played games, decorated converse, took a scavenger hunt across the museum, and so much more with our BFD partners. Free entry to your local cultural institutions the first and second Sunday of every month -- visit boston.gov/familydays to learn more.

Last week, our Director Pedro Cruz visited his alma mater, Snowden International HS, to speak with 11th and 12th grade IB students about his career path. They asked insightful questions and are undoubtedly headed towards great things!

A brand new Boston After Dark is here... now for 19-25 year-olds with Don't Tell Comedy! A completely free feature of 4 comedians who perform around the country. Thursday, April 30, doors at 6:15. boston.gov/calendar/dtc-x-boston-after-dark for free tickets.

You can also join MFA Teens, @oyea.boston.gov, and the Mayor’s Youth Council for a Teen Celebration this Sunday at 12 p.m. at the Museum of Fine Arts. 🖼️ Head to boston.gov/familydays to register for the Family Days program and get free entry to the event. Learn more at the link. 🎟️ ⤵

#Boston, plans for April vacation? 👀 Hang out with us at #BCYF! Find activities at boston.gov/bcyf-registration—tap “Special Events” and set the date filter to April vacation week. See you there 💛

We are offering FIVE professional development trainings in the next two months, completely free for Boston-area youth-serving professionals. Learn more and RSVP today at boston.gov/professional-development. See you soon!

We had so much fun welcoming everyone to Roxbury Community College for March's Partner Network meeting: Post-secondary Pathways edition! Spending time learning, networking, and eating together was the perfect way to kick off spring. Many thanks to RCC and all our partners. See you in May!

There are thousands of great summer jobs available for Boston’s young people at boston.gov/futureBOS! Browse the futureBOS 2026 Youth Jobs Catalog now and find help from City of Boston teams getting your ideal summer job.

Spring is (almost) here, and so is our March Partner Network meeting! Roxbury Community College will be hosting us for networking, breakfast, and a discussion of the many postsecondary pathways available to youth. For meeting details, join our partner network: boston.gov/oyea-partners

When we invest in our young people, we’re investing in the future of our entire city. Thank you to our @oyea.boston.gov team for hosting the Mayor's Youth Summit, where we can celebrate the young leaders, artists, and advocates who are bringing Boston toward a better and brighter future.

We're ringing in the spring with more free professional development trainings for the youth-serving community! RSVP for March and April sessions today at boston.gov/professional-development. See you soon 🌱

MYS 2026 was a blast! Thanks to everyone who showed up last Saturday and made it a day to remember♥️ We enjoyed youth performances, airbrush tattoos, drawings, giveaways, and more! Thanks to our partners for your support. 📸: Kenneth Palacios

Join us on Sat, Feb 28 for a Preliminary Poetry Slam at Teen Central in partnership with Mass Poetry! If you are an aspiring young poet looking to share your voice, this is the perfect opportunity! The top 4 poets in this slam will win a cash prize of $50. bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6985f...

We’re bringing City Hall out of City Hall and into our neighborhoods! Led by @communityengagement.boston.gov and our incredible city teams, Office Hours will be a family-friendly, citywide, one-stop shop for residents to connect directly with me and staff from across @boston.gov.

🚨 MYS 2026 IS HERE 🚨 Swipe to see our full lineup of Boston-based speakers and performers who will be taking the stage this Saturday! If you haven't already, grab your free tickets at Boston.gov/youth-summit (tickets are required for entry). We can't wait to see you there!!