Comprehensive Planning

Why It Matters

Education doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it is deeply affected by housing, transportation, youth development, mental health, and economic opportunity. That’s why some cities are taking a whole-community approach to youth outcomes. By leading or supporting strategic planning efforts that align city departments, nonprofits, and school districts, mayors can helpcreate the conditions for long-term success.

How Mayors Contribute

Mayors can initiate, champion, or fund multi-stakeholder planning efforts that prioritize youth well-being. They can use their convening power to bring partners to the table, encourage data sharing, and support implementation through city services and staffing.

How to Get Started

• Set up a meeting with school district leaders and city staff to talk through what is and isn’t working for kids and families in the community. Use the conversation to identify areas where the city and schools can partner.
• Initiate a cross-sector planning group including education, housing, transportation, health, and workforce stakeholders.
• Assess existing youth-serving efforts across departments and partners.
• Identify shared youth outcome goals and align city agency activities to support them.
• Use existing community surveys or youth input to inform priorities for a citywide youth plan.

Tips for Ongoing Success

• Keep Partners Engaged: Hold regular check-ins with cross-sector partners to revisit goals, share progress, and adjust strategies.
• Elevate Youth Voice: Include students in planning and evaluation as they can offer valuable perspectives on what’s working.
• Regularly Update the Plan: Treat the youth plan as a living document, refreshing it based on new data or emerging needs.

City Example

Alexandria, VA – Children and Youth Community Plan (CYCP) | Population 159,000
The CYCP represents a citywide effort to align schools, city services, and community partners around youth priorities. Through in-school projects, mental health support, and peer education, the plan empowers youth and ensures city resources are used collaboratively.

The City of Alexandria has partnered closely with the school system through the Children and Youth Community Plan (CYCP), a comprehensive initiative designed to support young people across the city. Originally launched in 2017, the CYCP is renewed every five years to reflect the evolving needs of the community. 

Collaboration is central to the success of the CYCP, which relies on strong partnerships with city departments, nonprofits, and other agencies to bring its strategies to life. One particularly impactful partnership is with civics and government teachers in the school district. Since 2018, these educators have incorporated the CYCP into their curriculum, reaching thousands of students and making civic engagement a hands-on, meaningful experience. 

As part of this collaboration, 8^th and 12^th grade students complete a youth research project embedded in their required civics coursework. In these projects, students identify an issue affecting themselves or their peers and propose potential solutions. After completing their research, the CYCP team connects students with the relevant city departments or leaders who can address the issues they’ve explored. This partnership not only deepens students’ understanding of government but also empowers them to influence real change. 

Additionally, the CYCP promotes student well-being by partnering with the school district to place therapists directly in schools, expanding access to mental health support and reinforcing the city’s commitment to holistic youth development. The Youth Development Division also trains 30 young people each year to lead peer-to-peer workshops on critical topics such as healthy relationships, mental health, and more. 

The CYCP empowers youth to be changemakers on the issues that matter most to them, while contributing to solutions for some of Alexandria’s most pressing challenges. 

Flint, MI | Population 81,000

Flint aligns city departments, schools, and partners to support youth through trauma-informed strategies, youth leadership, and a guaranteed income pilot. Mayor Neeley’s hands-on civic engagement and coordinated investments create a comprehensive ecosystem for youth opportunity and well-being.

Flint’s youth strategy reflects a comprehensive approach that aligns city government, schools, philanthropy, law enforcement, and federal partners to improve outcomes for young people. Under Mayor Neeley’s leadership, the city coordinates diverse funding streams around a youth-centered vision focused on education, well-being, and opportunity. 

The city’s model is grounded in both systems coordination and direct engagement with youth. Mayor Neeley personally teaches a civics class once a month at a local high school, reinforcing the city’s commitment to youth voice and civic empowerment. The city also supports youth-led initiatives such as peer mediators in schools and a Mayor’s Youth Council, embedding youth leadership across local governance. 

Programs like Flint PAL (Police Activities League) foster positive relationships between young people and law enforcement through community-building activities, while the “Flinty the Fox” initiative equips police officers with a trauma-informed comfort tool they can use when responding to crises involving children—helping to calm and support young people in high-stress situations. 

Flint’s planning approach pairs emergency interventions with long-term investments for stability. A guaranteed income pilot, for example, provides $500/month to mothers with infants as part of a broader prevention strategy that connects housing, education, and employment as mutually reinforcing pillars. 

As Mayor Neeley describes: “We use the issue that galvanizes us, brings us together around the table.. and then that movement becomes the movement in itself.” By embedding youth across civic life and aligning systems around a shared vision, Flint models how city governments can cultivate an ecosystem of opportunity and resilience for the next generation.