By Maria Verissimo

In the Richmond District, a group of 22 students are helping bring youth perspectives to their leaders. The District 1 Youth Council (D1YC) was founded in February and aims to help young San Francisco residents, aged 13 to 18, get involved in local politics.

The council seeks to advise and provide guidance to the mayor, the Board of Supervisors and the San Francisco Youth Commission. It prepares resolutions and offers policy recommendations to the District 1 Supervisor and Youth Commissioner on issues affecting young people in the district, while also developing initiatives that strengthen and support the local community.

Currently, the D1YC has 22 members.

“District 1 consistently had one of the highest numbers of Youth Commission applicants, which showed that young people deeply care about civic engagement,” said Leah Mordehai, the Youth Council co-chair.

“Unfortunately, there is (only) one seat per district,” Mordehai said. “Many students who weren’t selected, or who simply wanted to get involved locally, didn’t have a structured space to do so.”

Mordehai, who is the District 1 Youth Commissioner, noticing the abundance of youth looking to get politically involved, decided to create the youth council.

“The D1YC was created to bridge that gap,” Mordehai said. “It provides a consistent, organized platform for youth to engage directly with local government, learn how policy works and meaningfully contribute to conversations that impact their daily lives.” As the District 1 Youth Commissioner, Mordehai said she witnessed firsthand how difficult it is for youth to engage with local politics.

“I decided to help build the Youth Council because I believe leadership is about empowerment. I wanted to create a space where students don’t just observe the government but also learn how to navigate it, question it and influence it,” Mordehai said.

“The Council is as much about skill-building as it is about policy,” she said. “Many of our sessions not only include discussions on recent policy from the Board of Supervisors but also involve workshops on how to do advocacy, write resolutions and how different city departments work.”

The D1YC’s focus on skill-building is reflected in the council’s broader mission: turning civic engagement into concrete action. In practice, members are working to translate discussion into initiatives that directly benefit District 1 students and families.

“Each of our three committees – Civic Engagement & Education, Health & Safety and Housing & Transit – is working on one focused, small-scale project within its subject area over the course of the term,” the co-chair said.

“Rather than trying to solve everything at once, we identify a specific need in District 1 and build a tangible response around it.

“For example, our Civic Engagement & Education Committee is currently exploring the creation of a D1YC youth newsletter to distribute to students across the district. The goal is to keep young people informed about City Hall processes, upcoming policy decisions and opportunities to engage.”

In addition to the collective work, Mordehai also reflected on her personal and professional growth as a member of D1YC.

“Coordinating meetings, managing projects and communicating directly with the supervisor’s office has forced me to stay organized, be accountable and follow through on commitments,” she said.

“This experience taught me to face my fears and follow through on my visions and ideas,” Mordehai continued. “It taught me the importance of teamwork – in building the council, (I worked with) the Youth Commission staff, Supervisor Chan’s staff and the other council members, especially my two fellow co-chairs: Jaquline Moreno and Emily Gorodetskiy.”

Mordehai also highlighted the importance of mentorship to the D1YC, which greatly benefited from local politicians and staff’s guidance.

“Supervisor Chan attended our inaugural meeting and personally welcomed and inspired our cohort of young leaders, which set a powerful tone for the term,” Mordehai said. “Her office was also incredibly supportive in helping me build and launch the Council, offering guidance and partnership as we established our foundation.

“All of this work will culminate in our annual Youth Town Hall, which we plan to host closer to the end of the school year. The Town Hall will bring together District 1 youth and city officials, to gather input on community needs, present our projects and foster meaningful dialogue.”

As the council gains momentum, the co-chair said the next step is expanding its reach by inviting more students into the conversation and building projects that leave a lasting impact on District 1.

“Students can get involved by applying during our annual recruitment cycle, which will take place over the summer, or by attending our Youth Town Hall events later in the school year,” Mordehai said.

“We also hope to begin sharing updates and opportunities through our newsletter, which breaks down what we’re working on and what’s happening at City Hall in a digestible, youth-friendly format. Even if someone doesn’t join formally, they can reach out to us directly over email with concerns, ideas or feedback.”

“The Council exists to represent District 1 youth, so their voices are always welcome.”

Contact the District 1 Youth Council via email at sfdistrict1yc@gmail.com. To learn more, visit Instagram @district1youthcouncil.