Young people, parents, caregivers and adult allies are invited to provide input through online questionnaire

The City of Boulder is launching a Youth Well-being Assessment to gather insights from young people, parents, caregivers, and adult allies about the well-being and challenges faced by the youth in our community.

The assessment is available online on BeHeardBoulder. Individuals ages 6 to 18 are invited to participate, as well as parents, caregivers or service providers. Questions will be adjusted based on the age range of those responding. The questionnaire, available in English and Spanish, should take less than five minutes. All responses will remain anonymous. The opportunity to provide feedback will remain open until Dec. 31, 2023.

Evaluating youth well-being is a central component of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI). The City of Boulder is participating in the CFCI process in hopes of creating a youth-led local action plan to improve well-being and earn recognition as a UNICEF Child Friendly City. The city is partnering with Growing Up Boulder, a nonprofit with expertise in youth engagement, to ensure this plan reflects the voices and perspectives of young people.

The data collected will play a pivotal role in informing the City of Boulder, its many partners, and the Youth Opportunities Advisory Board in the development of this plan.

"The Youth Well-being Assessment is an essential step towards creating a more equitable, safe and child-responsive community for the youth of Boulder," said Growing Up Boulder Executive Director Mara Mintzer. "By actively involving young people, parents, caregivers, and adult allies in this process, we hope to gain valuable perspectives that will guide us in addressing the most pressing priorities for our community's youth."

The Child Friendly Cities Initiative is a partnership between the City of Boulder, Growing Up Boulder and UNICEF USA, using a global framework to prioritize the needs of children and youth, and elevate their voices in local decision-making. The city is particularly committed to hearing from young people in marginalized communities.

Boulder is in the fortunate position of having $2 million – its share of proceeds from the sale of the Denver Broncos stadium – to use as seed money to support the action plan that results from this process. The Broncos funding must be used to support youth activities.

Learn more about Boulder’s CFCI and sign up for project updates on the city’s website.