Baltimore Youth Deserve a Plan for Their Future

As a community dependent on the next generation, we cannot let young people’s future in Baltimore be determined by their zip code, resources or network. That’s not how you create a thriving city, let alone a thriving society. Every young person deserves a solid support structure, a safe environment to grow, and the opportunity to excel, regardless of circumstance.

While recent data from the city shows remarkable progress in 2025, such as youth homicides down 83 percent, the reality remains that a young person’s future in our city is still largely determined by where they’re from, down to the street. Our young people are brilliant and full of promise, yet they navigate fragmented systems, inequitable access to resources, and limited power to shape the decisions affecting their lives.

Baltimore needs a comprehensive, youth-driven plan that transforms fragmented services into a coordinated movement for change, and one that is tailored to our own unique identity.

Click here to read the full opion piece.

Source: The AFRO, written by Alysia Lee, President of the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund