1. Community Engagement

  2. Design

  3. Implement

  4. Complete

Current Phase
Implement

Project Overview

The City of Boulder has spent more than two years building its first-ever Youth Action Plan as part of a broader effort to earn UNICEF's Child Friendly Cities recognition. The city, in collaboration with nonprofit partner Growing Up Boulder, engaged with over 1,400 children, youth and adults, 17 city departments and 48 community partners in the process.

This plan was shaped directly by young people themselves, led by the Youth Opportunities Advisory Board, who helped design the engagement process, analyze data on issues like affordability, safety and discrimination, and ultimately narrow the findings into three priorities: reducing bullying, improving safety and belonging and creating stronger channels for youth to share their opinions with city government.

Each priority is backed by a logic model connecting specific activities to measurable short- and long-term outcomes with implementation running through at least 2029. Upon launch of the Youth Action Plan, UNICEF USA will contact a third-party evaluator to assess the city's plan progress over the course of a year. The city, UNICEF USA and the evaluator will meet at the mid-year mark to communicate evaluation parameters. The evaluation will be conducted in winter 2027 and afterwards the city expects to be formally recognized as a Child Friendly City.

Youth Action Plan Priority Areas Overview

Priority 1: Address and Reduce Bullying

Bullying emerged as a top concern for youth throughout engagement, and it shows up in many ways. Notably youth expressed concern about youth-to-youth bullying in and outside of school, and on social media; and the failure of adults, especially in schools, to step-in when they see or hear about bullying.

Priority 2: Improve Safety and Belonging

Young people in Boulder have safety concerns in public spaces due to unsocial and sometimes dangerous behaviors, frequently by community members who are unhoused. Additionally, youth have expressed safety concerns related to racism and discrimination, as well as a lack of culturally inclusive spaces.

Priority 3: Share Opinions with the City

Young people are eager to play an active role in driving change within their communities. They seek not only the opportunity to affect meaningful change but also to have a valued and respected voice in decision-making processes.

View the Youth Action Plan

What’s Next

Implementation

Implementing the Youth Action Plan requires city staffing, a structure for Plan advisement and oversight, and funding for programs and services to advance Priority Area outcomes.

The city’s Youth Opportunities Program will continue to provide staff coordination and management for CFCI and Youth Action Plan implementation. The CFCI Advisory Team, with representatives from city staff, Growing Up Boulder and potentially additional nonprofit representatives, provides strategic and operational guidance and oversight.

Beginning in 2026, Broncos funds will be used to support the YOP, which includes all Youth Opportunities Advisory Board (YOAB) operation, activities and community programming costs. The city expects to fund YOP with these funds through 2029.

For Plan outcomes that are not likely to be achieved through city programs, the city will issue Requests for Proposals in 2026-28, to fund programming that addresses and reduces bullying. Funds could also be made available for community-based programs addressing other Priority Areas.

Evaluation

Evaluation of the Youth Action Plan is both a requirement for Boulder’s CFCI recognition and a necessary component of a youth-centered strategy; to ensure activities and investments are resulting in tangible community-level benefits for youth, enable adjustments, if necessary, in order to achieve those outcomes, and celebrate accomplishments.

Staff will publish output and outcome highlights annually, as part of the HHS Annual Report and on the YOP website by communicating to youth, community partners and institutions through the following, but not limited to townhalls, websites and community outreach/engagement events. In addition, an independent evaluator contracted by UNICEF USA will assess progress on Youth Action Plan implementation.

By late 2027, the city and Growing Up Boulder anticipate the delivery of the one-year evaluation to be collated by an independent third party. Upon meeting global minimum criteria, Boulder will receive a recommendation which will lead to the city’s recognition as a UNICEF Child Friendly City.

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