Disconnected Youth in Urban Areas: Can Youth Councils Enhance Connection to School and Work?

Youth who are disconnected from work and education require policy and practice attention due to the long-term negative impacts of early disconnection. Municipal youth councils have been identified as one mechanism of civic engagement that offers youth opportunities to contribute to local decision-making. Yet, limited research has focused on the relationship between youth councils and youth disconnection. This multi-method study combined existing data on youth disconnection rates in US metropolitan areas with data on municipal youth councils collected from an Internet search to explore whether youth councils might impact youth disconnection. Additionally, content analysis of youth council mission statements provided descriptive information regarding the stated purpose of youth councils. Findings indicated that most urban areas had operating youth councils and that youth disconnection rates were lower in areas with youth councils. Analysis of mission statements offers suggestions for how youth councils might relate to disconnection and other outcomes. Results have implications for developing civic engagement interventions to strengthen youth connection.