Our theory of action includes using our data to push policy change in coalition with others as well as using it in local communities to drive action.
We hold both levels of change as equally important. We use our research to advocate that city officials and other adults in power be accountable to youth needs and desires but we also use our findings to take our own actions in partnership with allies.
NYC Youth Agenda
The first NYC Youth Agenda was launched in 2021 as a collaborative effort between ICI, Citizens Committee for the Children (CCC) of New York, Department of Community and Youth Development (DYCD), and YVote. Data was collected from thousands of NYC youth through surveys, town halls, and focus groups about their concerns and priorities and accompanying policy recommendations were surfaced to inform a largely newly-elected NYC political body.
Inspired by the impact and reception of the first-ever NYC Youth Agenda, ICI, CCC, and YVote officially formed the NYC Youth Agenda Steering Committee in 2022. Since that time, committee members convene annually to:
Push for forward movement on previous NYC Youth Agenda recommendations
Analyze and synthesize new data alongside their own powerful experiences to shed light on the ongoing and evolving needs of NYC youth
Develop new policy recommendations in response to emerging needs and shifts in the political landscape
Activate elected officials and key youth-serving institutions to invest in policy recommendations aimed at the holistic well-being of ALL NYC youth
Expand youth coalition through data-sharing, events, outreach, and rallies (see Winter Dataland and Policy Event below).
In 2023, the NYC Youth Agenda Steering Committee expanded and now includes youth and adult coalition members from ICI, CCC , YVote , I Will Graduate’s My Brother's Sister's Keeper, and the Office for Neighborhood Safety Youth Leadership Council.
Check out past NYC Youth Agenda reports and keep an eye out for the release of our 2024 NYC Youth Agenda!
Winter Dataland
As an iterative process, we incorporate feedback loops along the way to ensure community members, especially youth, have opportunities to engage with our research. Our annual Winter Dataland event brings out hundreds of NYC youth to learn about our YAY survey results, add to our collective analysis and help shape the policy recommendations we include in the NYC Youth Agenda.
Check out videos & articles from Policy Events!
Policy Event
Central to ICI’s coalition-building and policy advocacy work is the NYC Youth Agenda’s annual Policy Event. First launched in 2022, the Policy Event brings together elected city officials, city agency representatives, and intergenerational youth advocates for the unveiling of the NYC Youth Agenda and key policy recommendations in areas such as economic mobility, environmental justice, educational equity, mental health, and housing security. Committee members also report on the progress, or lack thereof, around previous Youth Agenda recommendations through our Accountable to YOUth report. Through this event, we aim to secure commitments from elected officials and city-agency representatives to continue meeting and working with us throughout the year to ensure the recommendations in the NYC Youth agenda become reality and not just rhetoric.
Check out the 2023 Policy Breakfast Blog
Accountable to YOUth
We take the “action” part of our research seriously! We launched our first Accountable to YOUth report in 2023 to look at what action government or partners took in relation to our recommendations outlined in the 2022 Youth Agenda. We will do this report annually to see where we are moving the needle or not and keep policy-makers accountable to YOUTH.
Check out our 2023 Accountable to YOUth report >
Community Days
At ICI we dont just use our data to push for policy change, we take action inspired by our results. Survey findings on topics such as food scarcity, lack of green spaces, garbage-strewn communities, and limited youth employment opportunities inspired countless ICI community collaborations.
We’ve participated in community clean-ups, conducted outreach for local community gardens, contributed to community fridges,and volunteered at compost centers. In summer 2022, we conducted intergenerational street interviews and analyzed extant data sources to better understand the overwhelming economic concerns voiced by our YAY respondents. We developed and distributed our Economic Security 2022 Zine.pdf which included policy recommendations and suggested tools and resources for NYC youth.
Working the GAP
Our ICI findings related to mental health and community wellness inspired CUNY Youth Studies program to develop a year long gap year initiative where young people are utilizing the data to implement action-oriented projects with youth at after-school programs and other community-based organizations.
