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MULTNOMAH YOUTH COMMISSION

The Multnomah Youth Commission, the official youth policy body for both Multnomah County and the City of Portland, is a group of young people, ages 13-21, that strives to provide a voice for youth in the County & City’s work. Housed within the Multnomah County Commission on Children, Families & Community and the City of Portland’s Office of the Mayor the MYC works to change policy affecting young people, as well as negative community perception about youth.

For the past two years the Multnomah Youth Commission has co-led with Mayor Tom Potter’s office and the County Chair’s Office the development of “Our Bill of Rights: Children & Youth.”  The Youth Commission helped organize youth involvement in this project and helped ensure adoption of the Bill of Rights at City Council and the County Board.  Over the next year our involvement in the Bill of Rights will include:

  • Budget Advocacy: Make sure both the City and County fund the programs and support necessary to make Multnomah County/Portland a nation’s leader in innovative youth engagement strategies and citizen involvement.
  • Media Team: A youth social entreprenurship which strives to function much like a business.  The Media Team trains young people how to use digital filming equipment and editing software and then produces video and web content for paying clients as well as video to help move the Youth Commission policy agenda.
  • School Based Health Center: Team of youth working to solicit input from young people on how to make school-based health centers more youth-friendly and increase access to services through youth-led marketing and promotion.
  • Youth on Board:  Increasing youth voice in the City and County by developing a program to support youth members on official City/County boards & commissions. YouthPASS: Committee, working with the City of Portland, Portland Public Schools, Multnomah County, and Trimet to get free public transportation for all youth.
  •  YouthVOTE!: Implement the Bill of Rights by engaging youth in local elections.