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Office on Youth
The Office on Youth is a division in the City Manager’s Office that provides direction on youth initiatives in Durham. The office works with youth, families, City and County staff and leadership, and community partners to elevate youth voices and enhance services and programs for youth.
Our Work
Through our various initiatives:
- We create new spaces and structures for Durham youth to be co-creators and decision-makers in local government.
- We listen to young people and their families. We work together to find ways that local government programs and systems can better support all children and youth ages 5-24 years.
Learn more about our work:
- 2020 Year in Review in English and Spanish (PDF)
- An interview in Durham Magazine about the Office on Youth - Feb/March 2020 Issue
- 2019 Year in Review in English and Spanish (PDF)
Highlights
COVID-19 Resources for Young People
The Office on Youth is helping young people in Durham stay supported during COVID-19 with a text line and special opportunities to connect virtually. Learn more about these projects and find additional community resources.
Join the YODurham Listserv
The Youth Opportunities in Durham (YODurham) listserv connects adults who work with and support youth in Durham. Listserv members can send and receive messages about jobs listings, volunteer opportunities, events, resources, and other opportunities that support Durham’s youth. Sign up here.
Youth Listening Project
The Office on Youth aims to improve how youth connect to, communicate with, and engage in local government and youth services in Durham.
We believe that youth perspectives and partnership are essential to achieving positive outcomes. In 2019, we launched a Durham-wide Youth Listening Project to hear from Durham youth on what they identify as resources and needs in their communities. Our work on this project has been impacted by COVID-19. We hope to share our project findings with the community later this year.
Our latest project updates:
Sign up for Youth Listening Project updates.
Learn More
For more information, contact City-County Youth Initiatives Manager Lara Khalil by email or call 919-560-4222, ext. 11224.
Durham Youth Commission
The Durham Youth Commission (DYC) is group of committed and community-oriented high school-aged youth who represent the diversity and lived experiences of youth in Durham. The commissioners act as a bridge, linking Durham’s decision makers and Durham’s youth. They envision and create new platforms for youth voices to be amplified in our community to ensure that the leaders who make decisions for our community hear them.
The DYC does this by planning and leading an annual advocacy project that aims to identify and address the barriers youth face in Durham. Members also receive racial equity and youth advocacy training to prepare them to better advocate in and on behalf of their community.
The DYC is a chapter of the North Carolina State Youth Council and commissioners attend conferences around the state to collaborate with and learn from other youth councils. The DYC recently presented its annual update to Durham City Council. Watch the Bull City Today segment about it below!
Learn More
For more information, contact Youth Initiatives Analyst A’lice Frazier by email or call 984-260-6703.
Service request:
Click or call 919-560-1200