Baltimore Youth Master Plan Launches at Community Gathering, Centering Youth Voices in City's Future

The Baltimore Children & Youth Fund celebrated the official launch of Baltimore's first Youth Master Plan at The Gathering 2025: Roots & Reach, bringing together over 350 community members, youth leaders, and grassroots organizers at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. This comprehensive, youth-driven roadmap represents a fundamental shift in how Baltimore will approach youth development, elevating young voices as central decision-makers in shaping the city's future policies and investments.

The Youth Master Plan, developed through extensive collaboration, listening sessions, and community engagement, establishes a shared commitment to building equitable systems of opportunity across Baltimore. It will guide resource allocation and policy alignment for years to come, ensuring that priorities defined by young people themselves drive the city's approach to youth development. Alysia Lee, President and CEO of BCYF, emphasized the significance of this moment, stating that the plan represents Baltimore's promise that young people's voices will guide the city's future direction.

The Gathering 2025 featured 27 interactive sessions led by youth, grassroots leaders, and practitioners, with nearly half of all sessions led or co-led by individuals under age 24. This emphasis on youth leadership reflects BCYF's core mission to elevate young people in every aspect of community-building. Sessions covered diverse themes including health and wellness, storytelling, harm reduction, and youth rights, while workshops addressed practical skills like grant management and youth-centered program design.

Throughout the event, participants engaged with showcases from organizations like The Marching Elite, Coach G Academy, and the Baltimore American Indian Center, highlighting the diverse cultural fabric of Baltimore's youth ecosystem. The convening's theme—"Roots & Reach: Citywide Change From the Ground Up"—captured BCYF's philosophy that lasting transformation must begin with those closest to both challenges and solutions. This approach recognizes that sustainable change emerges from community-led initiatives rather than top-down mandates.

The implications of this Youth Master Plan launch are substantial for Baltimore's approach to youth development. By centering youth voices in decision-making processes, the city moves toward more responsive and effective systems that address actual community needs rather than perceived deficiencies. This model could influence how other municipalities approach youth engagement and resource allocation, demonstrating the power of participatory planning. The plan's emphasis on aligning citywide resources around youth-defined priorities represents a significant shift in municipal governance, potentially creating more equitable distribution of opportunities across Baltimore neighborhoods.

Participants left the gathering with new connections, shared strategies, and collective commitments to advance the work outlined in the Youth Master Plan. This community-driven approach to youth development, supported by BCYF's dual investment strategy of direct funding combined with training and learning supports, aims to strengthen Baltimore's youth ecosystem for long-term sustainability. The event marked not just a celebration but the beginning of implementation for a youth-centered vision of Baltimore's future. For additional information about BCYF's work and the Youth Master Plan, visit http://www.bcyfund.org.