This year, Innovation & Performance is working with partners at the City of Seattle, youth and trusted adults, parents, and mental health experts in the community to re-imagine how young people connect with resources. Whether it’s mental health counseling, recreation activities, job training, or other programs, the Youth Connector initiative is content strategy that aims to raise awareness of and improve access to the resources youth need to be happy, healthy, and successful.
Youth Connector: A New Vision for Access
Research shows that enrichment programs, like sports, study groups, and other activities, address the root causes of anxiety and depression such as academic stress, loneliness, or hopelessness. What would it look like if every young Seattleite had an easy way to discover programs that directly support their growth and happiness? This is the goal of the Youth Connector project.
Funded with $500,000 in the 2025 budget and guided by youth feedback, Youth Connector aims to bridge between youth and life-changing opportunities.
Youth Mental Health in King County
Despite a 12% improvement since the pandemic, 60% of King County students are feeling anxious and on edge at school, according to the latest Healthy Youth Survey. While most students feel that they have opportunities for prosocial involvement and a parent or trusted adult to go to, 25% of students do not. Students reporting a lack of access to opportunity and trusted adults are disproportionately Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, and Black.
Looking at the neighborhood level, south and southwest Seattle have the highest concentration of youth experiencing “disconnection,” defined as young people who are not in school and not working. In 2022, the national average for youth disconnection was 10.9%, or 4,343,600 young people. Seattle’s average was 9.3%, however, the average for south and southwest Seattle was 13%.
Why Youth Connector?
Youth Connector aims to combat youth symptoms of depression, loneliness, anxiety by making it easier for them to discover, access, and connect to enrichment programs to support their overall mental health and well-being.
Last year, the Innovation & Performance Team published a new research report, A Student-Led Approach to Mental Health Services. This report was based on a combination of academic literature and extensive engagement with over 200 people including students, parents, advocacy groups, Seattle Public Schools administrators, and mental health providers. The research identified five key insights to improve prevention, early intervention, and treatment for youth (defined as ages 14-24) mental health challenges.
Mayor Harrell’s 2025-2026 proposed budget responded with one of the City’s most significant investments in youth well-being, including expanded mental health screening, free in-person and telehealth counseling access for teens, and more. You can find these resources at seattle.gov/youthmentalhealth.
Expanding access to mental health services is just one piece of the puzzle. Research shows that enrichment activities are an important way to help prevent depression, anxiety, and loneliness and promote better mental health and well-being. Getting youth involved in sports, clubs, internships, study groups, and other prosocial activities can go a long way to prevent mental health challenges and get young people back on track when they struggle. The City of Seattle invests in over 100 programs that offer a wide range of programs and activities for youth.
But programs like these only help Seattle youth if they know how and where to find them. One recurring theme stood out in the research: many young people don’t know these programs exist. Recognizing this, the City took a step back and asked a simple question: How can we make it easier for Seattle youth to find and use the resources they need?
Raising Awareness: What 2025 Research Revealed
To bridge the information gap, the City needed to understand how local youth receive information and make decisions about how they spend their time. Innovation & Performance kicked off another deep-dive research sprint in early 2025, engaging more than 300 Seattle teens in interviews, surveys, and focus groups.
Key Insights
- Awareness remains the biggest barrier.
Only 54% of Seattle teens reported knowing about city youth programs. Flyers and posters (28%), word of mouth (24%), and school announcements (18%) are the most common places for teens to find out about programs. Social media (18%) is influential, but City websites and online searches were among the least-used channels.
- Challenges extend beyond awareness.
When youth do know about available programs, other barriers still come into play. Top issues include scheduling conflicts, unreliable or unsafe transportation options, and a lack of program options that truly reflect the needs and interests of today’s teens.
- Youth crave relevance and incentives.
Young people said they want more than just “something to do.” They’re seeking programs that offer real-world incentives like stipends, service hours, skills training, or pathways to paid jobs. Youth want to have a say in what’s offered and shape future activities to match their passions.
“[If I was designing a program], I’d make sure the program is offering something to people… a lot of times the activity isn’t enough, people want food, service hours or money.” -Interview participant
Opportunities for Improvement
The City’s research revealed clear opportunities to better connect youth with resources:
- A marketing strategy tailored to how youth consume information—like short-form videos, trusted messengers, and peer-to-peer outreach.
- Streamlined registration and scholarship processes that don’t require jumping through endless hoops.
- Safe, youth-friendly transportation options for after-hours and weekend activities.
- Interactive and easy ways to discover, filter, and match with programs based on interests.
- Opportunities where youth can help co-design programs and solutions.
Roadmap to Reaching More Youth
Based on the research, Youth Connector focuses on two strategies:
- Creating a User-Friendly Digital Platform for Youth
The City is exploring how we might build a digital solution that brings together mental health, recreation, job training, and enrichment programs all in one place. We want young people to be able to browse by interest or other filters, read reviews from peers, and easily sign up.
For youth exploring future careers, the project is incorporating a Job Center that will show internships, volunteer gigs, job training, and other opportunities that support career-connected learning.
- Marketing that is Personal and Powerful
To accompany the digital platform, we are designing a new marketing strategy with a focus on reaching youth who are not engaging in programs. Leveraging platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, we hope to partner with local creators to make the message authentic and relatable.
In addition to social media, we know direct word-of-mouth from trusted adults and peers is one of the most effective ways to get youth engaged with programs. Outreach and marketing resources for teachers, coaches, community leaders, and parents will help ensure that supportive adults can guide youth to the resources they need.
What’s Next and How to Get Involved
Throughout the rest of 2025, the Innovation & Performance team will keep working side by side with youth through research, co-design sessions, and workshops. By the end of the year, we’ll be excited to share the design for the new digital platform and will be preparing to launch our marketing strategy.
If you’re a young person (ages 14-24) eager to shape what comes next, or if you know a Seattle youth who should be involved in co-design, we want to hear from you! Fill out our interest list form to be notified about future workshops and opportunities to engage.
Further reading:
- Mind over matter: advocating for your mental health | The Seattle Times
- A Student-Led Approach to Mental Health Services (PDF)
Resources for youth: