The Youth Development Council was created to support Oregon’s education system by developing state policy and administering funding to community and school-based youth development programs, services, and initiatives for youth ages 6-24 in a manner that supports educational success, and career and workforce development with a focus on Positive Youth Development, and is integrated, measurable and accountable.
The Youth Development Council (YDC) was created by
House Bill 4165 in 2012 and further developed in
House Bill 3231 in 2013 to build a seamless system. The Council’s mandate: to help youth who face barriers to education and the workforce get back on the path to high school graduation, college and/or career.
The Council ensures implementation of best practices that are evidence based; are culturally, gender and age appropriate; address individual risk factors and build upon factors that improve the health and well-being of children and youth; and includes tribal best practices.
The Council advocates for youth in Oregon, including changes needed in state law, policy and state funding for programs and services that support youth education, career/workforce development, and juvenile crime prevention using principles of positive youth development.
Council Roster (updated November 2024)
Xanthippe Augerot
Parasa Chanramy
Jhoselyn de la Garza
Jenny Glass
Jeneen Hartley
Celeste Janssen
Alexander Johnson
Robin Johnson
Sam Ko, Ex-Officio member
Kim Le
Andy Leonard
Thabiti Lewis, Vice-Chair
Adrienne Livingston
Christina McMahan
Maricela Ortega Guzman, Chair
Jeff T. Parker
Savanna Rilatos
Molly Rogers
Diana Haide Rojas
Andy Santana-May
Jenell Theobald
Elizabeth K. Thorne
Keeve Wilson