Highlights from C4Y Boise's 2025-2026 Academic Year

Communities for Youth (C4Y) Boise has had a busy year! 

As a C4Y Regional Initiative (we’re currently in our third year!), we had a number of successes as well as lessons learned when it came to building the best community for our young people. For the past two years, the lion’s share of C4Y Boise’s efforts have focused on increasing social connection (connection to family, peers, and community) for local teens. This focus area was decided on by members of our community in response to Boise students’ responses on the Idaho Youth Well-being Survey. 

This data showed that lacking social connection in teens was a big contributor to teen depression and that citywide, many teens lacked meaningful and authentic connections (to self, peers, families, and community). While the most recent Boise youth data showed that social connection is going up for Boise teens, the data (and community vote) also showed we should continue to focus on this issue. 

Keep reading for more details on how we took action together this past school year!

Key Projects

Some of the key projects to build social connection and well-being in Boise youth included: 

• Launching the Boise Youth Friendly Business Initiative and Get Out There Boise

• Lead Implementation partner in the Boise Youth Road Map work with the City of Boise

• Active Partnership with Valley Regional Transit (VRT) and their Youth Ride Free program

• Creating More Protective Factors At School With Local Hope Squads 

• Launch of the Teen Action Team Summer Internship

Former Teen Action Team members and local Boise teens at C4Y Boise's Youth Friendly Business Kickoff

2025-2026 Boise Youth Well-being Survey

This year, 6, 400 middle and high school students from Bishop Kelley High School, Boise Schools, Riverstone International School, and Sage International School participated in the Idaho Youth Well-being Survey for Boise. 

Some of the main takeaways from this year’s citywide data and citywide data walk presentation included:

• Depression symptoms have decreased for another year in Boise! We are down to 16%, which is now under the national average. When we started in 2022, the rate was 38% — nice work, Boise!

• Boise teens are not getting enough sleep (High School students need a minimum of 8 hours every night, and middle school students need 9-10 hours every night)! 

• Social Connection remains our best bet for increasing youth mental health and well-being in Boise. Check out our website for ways to get involved!

Community members discuss the Idaho Youth Well-being results for Boise teens at C4Y Boise's Data Walk

Data presentations inclusive of all students and schools that participated in 2025 -2026 are available on the C4Y Boise Data Page. If you are interested in school or district-level information, please contact your school principal.

Our Coalition, Partnerships & Community Engagement

Given the size and number of potential partners in Boise, C4Y Boise has experimented with various coalition models since its founding. During the 2025-2026 school year, to avoid duplication and partner overload, we merged our existing coalition efforts with the City of Boise’s Youth Roadmap Initiative and continued work with additional strategic partnerships. This collaboration has been productive and has led to the advancement of numerous strategic initiatives on behalf of the youth who live, learn, and recreate in Boise.

Dr. Megan Smith and C4Y Boise Community Lead, Heather Allen, present at a recent Boise coalition meeting

Key Partners Have Included:

• C4Y Boise/Central District Health

• St. Luke’s Health System

• City of Boise Mayor’s Office of Community Engagement 

• City of Boise Department of Parks and Recreation

• City of Boise Department of Libraries

• Youth Mental Well-being Alliance 

• Valley Regional Transit (VRT)

• Downtown Boise Association and Youth Friendly Business Partners

• YMCA

• JUMP

• Idaho Youth Ranch

• Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health

• Boise Schools

We pride ourselves on community engagement. This year, C4Y Boise engaged more than 50 community and school partners, parents, and other community members at our Citywide Community Data Walk. We also had collaborative meetings in February, March, and May with more than 50 partners and facilitated or attended dozens of meetings with community groups, agencies, and others!

C4Y is so proud of what we have been able to do this year. As we continue the work to move upstream for youth well-being in Boise, we invite new and existing partners to stay up to date and reach out about ways that they can learn more and/or get more involved.

If you have any questions or would like to get involved in the current work of the Communities for Youth Boise Initiative, please contact Community Lead Heather Allan at HAllan@cdh.idaho.gov.

For more information on the Communities for Youth Boise Initiative, please visit our main page or sign up for our newsletter.