City of Long Beach Invites Youth Ages 13 to 26 to Attend Three-Day Empowerment Event

City of Long Beach
Public Information Office
411 W. Ocean Blvd,
Long Beach, CA 90802
www.longbeach.gov

Above: Young people come together to share ideas, explore the Youth Participatory Budget and learn about workforce opportunities and community resources at a 2025 Youth Week event.

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) Office of Youth Development invites youth ages 13 to 26 to attend Youth Connect, a three-day event series focused on empowering young people to build life skills, civic engagement and community connection.

"Young people are at the heart of Long Beach's future--their ideas, creativity and leadership help shape the direction of our city," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "Youth Connect provides our young residents the opportunity to learn valuable skills and connect to like-minded people in their communities."

Taking place at various locations throughout Long Beach, Youth Connect 2026 will feature a youth voter fair, interactive activities and valuable resources designed to help young people connect around youth advocacy and resources.

Each day of Youth Connect will center around a unique theme:

• Youth Connect Through Voting - Tuesday, April 21, from 4 to 7 p.m. at City Hall (411 W. Ocean Blvd.): This day will offer opportunities to engage in the participatory budgeting process. Youth can talk to community organizations that have projects on the ballot and learn more about them before they cast their vote. Youth will also learn about local resources while enjoying food, entertainment and other activities.
• Youth Connect through Culture - Saturday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at City Hall (411 W. Ocean Blvd.): Young people are invited to participate in a fireside chat with the Mayor, featuring a special guest, to celebrate youth culture in the city. The event will also feature an activation at City Hall Plaza with various activities around wellness, art and play.
• Youth Connect through Climate Action - Thursday, April 30, from noon to 6 p.m. at Long Beach City College Trade (1305 E Pacific Coast Hwy): Focusing on climate action and workforce development, planned activities for this event include a career exploration panel and a green jobs workforce resource fair.

Youth Connect is made possible through a collaboration between the Health Department's Office of Youth Development , the Mayor's Office, and City Departments of Economic Development, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Library, Arts, and Culture, Long Beach Airport, and the City's Office of Climate Action and Sustainability, as well as Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach City College, Mayor's Fund for Long Beach, Love Beyond Limits and Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development.

This year's event, which is funded by youth development dollars from Measure US and supports the City's Youth and Emerging Adults Strategic Plan. As outlined in the plan, the City will host an annual event to increase access to open spaces and recreation programming, while fostering physical activity, community connections and safe places for youth and families to gather. For more information about the Office of Youth Development, visit longbeach.gov/youth.

About the City of Long Beach

Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Long Beach Health Department is available at longbeach.gov/health and on Instagram, Facebook and X.