PRESS RELEASE

Above: Youth attendees participate in a skateboard building activity at a previous youth celebration event hosted by the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services.

UPDATE: The below press release was updated on April 15 at 11:30 a.m. to reflect the new timeframe for the Day 3 event, now taking place 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (previously 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) Office of Youth Development has announced Youth Week 2025, a new three-day event dedicated to empowering young people ages 13-26. Taking place May 15-17 at various locations throughout Long Beach, Youth Week 2025 will feature engaging workshops, interactive activities and valuable resources designed to help youth grow, play and advocate for their future.

“Youth Week reflects our continued commitment to uplifting youth voices by providing them significant opportunities to engage, connect and build vital knowledge and skills,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “This May, we invite our community to join us as we inspire growth, promote play and foster advocacy in our next generation of leaders.”

Each day of Youth Week will center around a unique theme: 

• Thursday, May 15: Grow – Taking place from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Economic Development Department’s Long Beach Workforce Innovation Network Youth Career Services Center (508 W. Willow St.), this day will offer youth opportunities to participate in workforce and education workshops and hear from the Youth Advisory Council, as well as explore career and educational opportunities to inspire personal and professional growth.
• Friday, May 16: Play – Taking place from 4 to 7 p.m. at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.), this day will focus on health and wellness and feature a resource fair, an art workshop, and interactive wellness activities.
• Saturday, May 17: Advocate – Taking place from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Long Beach City Hall (411 W. Ocean Blvd.), this theme will emphasize youth advocacy, with planned activities to include a Mayor’s Town Hall where young people can engage in civic discussions and share their voices on key issues affecting their communities.

Youth Week will connect young people to essential resources in their city, providing them with career exploration, skill-building, education and advocacy opportunities while ensuring a fun and engaging experience. A more detailed schedule of events will follow in the weeks to come.

Registration is required to attend. More information about the event, including a full list of activities and entertainment, will be announced in the coming weeks.

This event is made possible through a collaboration between the Health Department’s Office of Youth Development, the Mayor’s Office, and City Departments of Economic Development, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Long Beach Public Library, Long Beach Airport, and the City’s Office of Equity, as well as Long Beach Unified School District, Mayor’s Fund for Long Beach, Leadership Long Beach, Love Beyond Limits, and Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development.

Youth Week 2025, which is funded by youth development dollars from Measure US, is part of the City’s Youth and Emerging Adults Strategic Plan efforts host an annual Youth Summit to increase access to open spaces and recreation programming and foster physical activity, community connections and safe places for youth and families to connect. The event is also sponsored by Long Beach Airport.

For more information about the Office of Youth Development, people may visit longbeach.gov/youth.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Health Department is available at longbeach.gov/health and on social on Facebook, X and Instagram.