Initiative

The New Mexico Youth Alliance is a statewide youth advisory council comprised of youth representatives, up to one from each legislative district. The Alliance was established in 2003 by the Youth Council Act, which enables state lawmakers and administrators to create and refine youth policies with the benefit and feedback from youth statewide. It is a tool for ensuring that youth have meaningful voice in the state’s political process. Members mobilize youth to make positive contributions in their locales, meet regionally to discuss youth issues and develop their platform and inform policy makers, as well as conduct Community Impact Projects where they participate in civic engagement.

Opportunities

The NMYA recognizes young people as assets to the community, not just as leaders of the future, but as leaders of today. Youth have the fundamental opportunity of advancing the positive youth development work to connect theory with practice ultimately being able to create change at the local and statewide level through various vehicles.

Successes

Moving youth voice to youth empowerment is successfully completed through the exemplary work of youth planning and implementing Community Impact Projects. Youth Alliance members identify concerns about which they are passionate and invested in making a difference in the communities. With their civic engagement they work closely with community based organizations and adult sponsors. Below are some highlights of Community Impact Projects statewide:

• Central New Mexico, Albuquerque-development of Albuquerque Mayoral Youth Council and its effort on prevention and intervention in heroin and opioid use among teens.
• Northern New Mexico, Pojoaque- the successful creation of an early child development program in a high school to support teen parents in the continuation of school and children receiving high quality child care programming.
• Southern New Mexico, Anthony-creating partnerships with the high school principal and Secretary of Health to address the high rate of teenage pregnancy in southern, NM.  
• Eastern New Mexico, Clovis-addressing racism and health issues in the community by serving on the statewide Adolescent Health Youth Council.
• Western New Mexico, Laguna,-working with youth leadership, youth healing, and celebrating cultural wealth.

Our Partners

We collaborate with phenomenal partners who strive to create thriving communities for our youth. Although New Mexico is considered an impoverished state we are rich with social and cultural wealth and with these partnerships we are able to move to shifting the paradigm of recognizing youth as contributors and change agents. Among our partners are: