YouthScape, NLC's home on the web for youth leaders of cities, is where young people from all around the country meet up and speak up.

If you are active in the life of your city or town, whether through a youth council, a community group, or on your own, this is the place for you.

It's the place to talk with other young leaders about the issues facing youth in cities and towns across America: share ideas and get support, find out about events, and speak up in a national way.

Because YouthScape is your space, it's important that you decide what belongs here, and start the conversation. What issues are most important to you right now? Has your youth council done something great that everyone needs to know about? Having trouble getting the respect or attention of adults in the city? What kinds of advice and support could help you make a bigger difference in your community?

Tell us about what you're doing in your city, raise issues, questions, and ideas - act now to make YouthScape the premier venue for youth leaders like you.

NLC, or the National League of Cities, is the oldest and largest national organization representing municipal governments throughout the United States.  Its mission is to strengthen and promote cities as centers of opportunity, leadership, and governance.

NLC serves as a resource to and an advocate for more than 19,000 cities, villages, and towns, and works in partnership with 49 state municipal leagues.  More than 1,600 municipalities of all sizes pay dues to NLC and actively participate as leaders and voting members in the organization.

Some of the ways NLC works for and with city leaders: media campaigns to bring attention to city issues; lobbying and campaigning; programs, training, and information to help city leaders be more effective; awards to cities and towns that have made a lot of progress; events and communications networks that help city leaders from across the country support each other and share ideas.  

The YEF Institute, or the Institute for Youth, Education, and Families, is a special center within the National League of Cities that helps city leaders take action on behalf of children, youth, and families in their communities.   

NLC launched the YEF Institute in January 2000 in recognition of the unique and influential roles that mayors, city councilmembers, and other local leaders can play in strengthening families and improving outcomes for children and youth.

The YEF Institute splits its work up into five main areas: Early Childhood Development, Family Economic Success, Education and Afterschool, Safety of Children and Youth, and Youth Development.

In these five areas, the YEF Institute provides city leaders with information, publications, and practical advice about how to take action. Another big part of the YEF Institute's work is about connecting city leaders to each other based on their shared interest in the wellbeing of youth and families, through networks, meetings, and conferences. The YEF Institute also does research and conducts surveys of city leaders to better understand the challenges facing cities and towns, and the youth and families who live there.

Youth Development, one of the five program areas, includes youth leadership and participation in local government. The idea is to make sure young people have "a seat at the table" in their community's decision-making process. The reason? Young people want and deserve a voice in their communities, and bring valuable ideas and skills to the table.

The YEF Institute helps youth work as city leaders by: inviting youth delegates to NLC and YEF Institute conferences and events; encouraging and training city leaders to value youth voices; building a network of adult leaders who work with youth leaders in their own communities; and creating YouthScape as the place on the web for youth leaders to meet up and speak up.   

If you have questions or comments about anything you see on the YouthScape site, get in touch with Tiffany Mitchell, The YEF Institute's Thomas M. Menino Fellow, by calling 202.626.3014, or sending a note to fellow@nlc.org.