Building Pathways for Youth Connection and Opportunity

“Youth Connector matters to me and other youth because young people do want to do activities outside of school. There may be a perception that we’re lazy or uninterested in programs, but we just don’t know where to look. Many of us don’t even realize that there are opportunities out there to learn new skills, earn money, get a meal, find volunteer hours, or access important support like Teen Life Centers and therapy. There are over 1,000 youth programs in Seattle, but how are we supposed to find them? How are we supposed to sign up for them if the process is difficult? That’s why a website like Youth Connector is so important.“

—Ada Cheng, Youth Connector Marketing Intern

In the 2023 Washington State Health Youth Survey, 60% of Seattle youth reported feeling anxious and on edge at school. In the wake of the pandemic, amid growing concerns about school safety, students across the city demanded change and called on the City of Seattle to budget an additional $20 million for stronger mental health supports. Students asked not only for more counselors, but for holistic supports including arts, sports, mentorship, jobs, paid internships, safe spaces, cultural programs, and activities that build confidence and community. 

To understand the challenges youth face to access support, the Innovation & Performance (IP) Team conducted a 12-week research sprint, engaging more than 400 youth—primarily in South and Southwest Seattle—through surveys, interviews, user testing, and focus groups. The Youth Connector solution was born from this engagement, a platform designed to make it easier for young people to discover and access programs.

By the Numbers

  • $206+ million in youth programming
  • 15 departments with 150+ programs

Challenge

Students continue to ask for holistic supports such as arts, sports, mentorship, jobs, paid internships, safe spaces, cultural programs, and activities that build confidence and belonging. Yet despite the City of Seattle investing more than $206 million in youth programming, many teens report they simply don’t know what exists or how to access it. Enrollment data reinforces this disconnect: while 40% of programs are full, the remaining 60% still have space, highlighting a gap between what youth need, what the City offers, and what young people can actually find.

Creating a Simpler Way for Youth to Connect to Opportunity and Support

The research revealed three core insights:

  1. Most teens learn about programs through school or parents, leaving out youth who are not in school or lack a trusted adult to guide them.
  2. Searching online is frustrating and time-consuming, making it difficult to know what opportunities exist or which ones are relevant.
  3. Youth get information from YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, while government outreach still relies heavily on Facebook, a platform teens rarely use.

With one-time funding, IP has designed a prototype Youth Connector platform that organizes programs in a way that is easy to navigate and familiar to teens. The platform highlights details youth care about most—whether a program pays or costs money, if food or transportation is provided, and how simple it is to sign up.

Looking ahead, IP will test social media ads and influencer outreach to reach youth who might not otherwise hear about these opportunities and encourage participation. In addition, IP is exploring a new referral pathway with school-based health center counselors, giving counselors access to a set of free, pre-reserved program slots so they can directly register students who lack trusted adult support to navigate sign-ups on their own.

Partners:

  • Youth and parents
  • Seattle Department of Education & Early Learning
  • Seattle Human Service Department
  • Seattle Parks & Recreation
  • Other City departments with youth programs
  • Seattle Public Schools
  • School-Based Health Centers
  • Social service providers

Read More

Innovation and Performance

Leah Tivoli, Director
Address: 600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA, 7th Floor, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 94749, Seattle, WA, 98124-4749
Phone: (206) 684-4000
performance@seattle.gov

Seattle's Mayor is the head of the Executive department. The Mayor directs and controls all City offices and departments except where that authority is granted to another office by the City Charter.