‘Let’s kick their butts’: East Palo Alto youth push for real youth power

More than 260 East Palo Alto youth participated in a project to create both a youth commission and a youth task force in their city. The project, which took place during the last five months of 2025, included listening sessions, workshops and surveys.

The proposal that resulted was called the Youth Engagement Program Development Plan and it was presented to the East Palo Alto City Council at its first meeting of 2026 on January 6. The energy and excitement generated by the young people, who were present during the plan’s unveiling, filled the council chambers and visibly moved several of the council members.

Council member, Carlos Romero, pointed out how one combination in the plan gives the youth clout in their dealings with the council.

“The fact that you’re combining both of these — the commission and the task force — that’s the agitate piece,” Council member Carlos Romero said. “It’s like, yeah, let’s kick their butts if they don’t do what we want them to do. That creates something powerful and forces us to respect and hear you.”

Romero’s comment set the tone for a city council discussion focused on giving East Palo Alto youth real influence instead of a symbolic role in city government.

Community Services Manager Maurice Baker presented a Youth Engagement Program Development Plan that would create two new youth-led groups: a Youth Commission and a Youth Task Force. Baker said the city has talked about youth engagement for decades, but this proposal is about finally building something that works.

The Youth Commission would be a formal group that makes recommendations directly to the City Council. The Youth Task Force would be more flexible, allowing young people to come together on a quarterly basis to share concerns, organize, and pass feedback to the commission. City staff said the goal is to create access for more youth while still giving them a clear path to influence city decisions.

The plan was developed over the last five months of 2025 through listening sessions, workshops, and surveys with local youth, led by community partners Creative Hustle, Swordhouse, Inc., and the Youth Leadership Institute.

Wendy Pacheco from the  Youth Leadership Institute talked about the importance of intergenerational leadership. “We are a statewide organization that believes that when young people and adults come together in equitable partnership, we can create some really meaningful change in our community,” she said. “We invest in the leaders of tomorrow so young people can eventually take the roles that you all are sitting in—respectfully.”

She added that East Palo Alto already models this approach. “One of the most heartwarming things I’ve seen is the intergenerational leadership in this community—adult allies of all ages and backgrounds ensuring that young people are set up for success.”

Speaking directly to the council, Swordhouse representative Tonga Victoria presented the survey results. She said 89 percent of the youth surveyed want leadership opportunities, while 77 percent feel the city does not support its youth enough. She also shared that 73 percent believe youth leadership positions in the city should be paid.

Victoria said the biggest barrier the youth identified was balancing school and work. She added that safe places in the city and access to mental health and wellness support mattered most to young people. She told the council, “The ecosystem is already leaning in...,” and the community is ready for this type of program.

Vice Mayor Ruben Abrica said the presentation reminded him of the early years of East Palo Alto, when residents worked together to shape the city’s future. He told the youth presenters that they were ready to hit the ground running.

Romero said the combination of a Youth Commission and a Youth Task Force gives young people real leverage. He explained that when youth organize and speak together — even when criticizing city policies on housing, parking or other issues — it forces elected officials to listen.

Council members agreed the Youth Commission would be more effective operating as a non-Brown Act group, allowing youth to speak openly without being slowed down by strict meeting rules.

The city's staff asked the council to support the program through the budget process, beginning with a mid-year request of $25,000, followed by $50,000 per year over the next three years. If approved, youth members would apply through the Community Services Division and serve terms of no more than two years.

The council was told that it does not need to take any action on the plan it heard now, but to just support it. 

By the end of the discussion, the message was clear: East Palo Alto is no longer just asking young people what they think. The city is preparing to give them real space, real structure and real power to speak up — and be heard.

It was also very clear from the youth who attended the meeting that the youth in East Palo Alto are ready to step up and assume responsibility in the city wherever they can.

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The above article was written by David Rages, II, who is an East Palo Alto resident and a regular contributor to East Palo Alto Today.

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