Youth Bureau

Mission Statement

The mission of the Binghamton City Youth Bureau is to enhance, promote and support opportunities and services for youth in the City of Binghamton through partnership and collaboration with the community.

Message from the Director

Our young people are the greatest resource we have in the City of Binghamton. The youth of our area are full of ideas, energy and experience. They are the heart and pulse of Binghamton’s renewal. To help them take note of their value and fulfill their potential, they need a community that makes them feel valued and invites them to share their ideas. As a community, we must develop opportunities for our youth, assist them in connecting to those opportunities, and give them the support they need to be successful. 

 Nine months ago, I was given the opportunity of leading the City of Binghamton’s first Youth Bureau. I accepted the position because of my desire to support the young people of Binghamton. This opportunity has been a welcomed challenge. As the City’s first Youth Bureau Director I have been impressed by the insight, input, and responsiveness of our youth and community to this new initiative. The Binghamton City School District, Broome County Youth Bureau, local youth agencies, the youth of our community, and parents have embraced the opportunity to participate in these new programs that take their voice into consideration. I am proud to be part of a movement that encourages collaboration and positive youth development.   

 One of our advances is the development of an Advisory Board. New York State requires that all Youth Bureaus have an Advisory Board, which must include a minimum of two youth participants, and be representative of the community the young people live in. Youth membership on boards, which make decisions that directly affect youth, is not only educational for the young people, but also allows for decisions based on young people's discussion of their experiences.

Another mark of the Youth Bureau’s progress is the video/audio training program Youth in Motion (YIM), which has made great strides in just a few months.  A partnership between On Point Production Studio and the Youth Bureau, YIM immerses local youth in a high-tech, professional setting, giving them an “inside” look at the benefits of sophisticated audio/video skills. The youth involved have already produced videos for Planned Parenthood, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s City Project, the Broome County Urban League’s Juneteenth Celebration, the Columbus Park Block Party, the Binghamton Housing Authority’s Growing Connection, and a PSA about Carlisle youth who are without school bus service. There is much still in store for YIM, including a partnership with the Binghamton School District, which will further the educational value of the program and provide youth participants with opportunities for service learning. 

The City Youth Bureau has come a long way in a short period of time. During the past nine months I have strengthened the City’s relationship with the Binghamton City School District, the Broome County Youth Bureau, CASA Start and several agencies in Binghamton. Each day allows me to connect more with the City’s youth and the local agencies that support them.  I am impressed by the area’s efforts to provide youth with opportunities to grow as leaders in the community.

In the upcoming year, I look forward to working with more young people and community members.  I believe in the youth of Binghamton.  Let us work together to support them.  

Best Regards,

Ana Shaello-Johnson, Director of the Youth Bureau