GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
THE D.C. YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL

Open Government Report 2014
Mayor’s Order 2014-170 seeks to institutionalize a culture of transparent and open government,
accountability, and to expand opportunities for resident participation and collaboration. This Report
describes how the D.C. Youth Advisory Council (DCYAC) has developed and enhanced transparency,
public participation, and collaboration and will continue to do so.
The DCYAC is one of twelve affinity offices housed under the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs. The
DCYAC was established to provide an organized youth perspective regarding various issues to the
Mayor, the Council of the District of Columbia, District of Columbia schools, key decision makers in the
District of Columbia Government, officials, and community leaders. The DCYAC’s relationship with the
public involves engaging D.C. youth, as well as the larger community on behalf of D.C. children and
youth.

Transparency
Online
The DCYAC’s official website (www.dcyac.dc.gov) provides information regarding the following:
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the DCYAC’s history, purpose, mission, and functions;
eligibility requirements and selection criteria for membership on the DCYAC;
frequently asked questions regarding the DCYAC;
an online DCYAC membership application;
postings of DCYAC events;
a general DCYAC email address (dcyac@dc.gov) that links directly to the DCYAC Director and
staff for public comments or queries; and
a direct link to the DCYAC’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) officer.

The DCYAC has a Facebook page and is on Twitter #influenceyouth, where DCYAC activities and events
are periodically reported.
Public Information
The DCYAC routinely responds to queries from the general public. This is done via the DCYAC’s general
email (dcyac@dc.gov), as well as the DCYAC’s general telephone number (202-727-7966). Among
typical requests from the public are information regarding:
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internship and employment opportunities;
DCYAC membership and program requirements;
specific youth-related organizations and city services appropriate for youth with a wide range of
needs;
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individuals and organizations interested in providing their speakers and services to D.C. youth;
and
individuals and organizations interested in collaborating with the DCYAC.

The DCYAC Office freely responds to any queries that fall within the vast body of youth affairs
information that is not confidential but in the public domain.
Availability of Data
The Office of the City Administrator (OCA) and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) are
identifying a significant number of District Government agency datasets to publish online later this year.
If they do not select a dataset from the DCYAC to be a part of the 2014 release, we will continue to work
with them to identify datasets appropriate to publish in 2015. In the future, the Chief Data Officer will
provide requirements for open data reporting.

Public Engagement and Participation
District of Columbia youth, ages 13-22, have ongoing opportunities to join the DCYAC. The DCYAC and
its members conduct continuous outreach in order to recruit and cultivate youth participation. Some
key strategies include:
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ongoing presence in local D.C. schools; and
ongoing partnerships with local agencies and organizations that provide information regarding
DCYAC to its broad youth constituencies via social media;

Opportunities
In FY2015, the DCYAC looks forward to:
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increasing the recruitment of youth participants via stronger overall outreach, especially via
social media;
continuing partnerships with agencies and organizations that have access to youth who are ideal
candidates for membership on the DCYAC; and
building our Facebook and Twitter followings.

Collaboration
The DCYAC has two significant collaborations in keeping the public information.
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We are a host agency with the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program. As a host agency,
we interview and select about 40 youth, ages 14-22, to participate in our Summer Enrichment
Program. This Program provides enrichment opportunities to youth participants in the areas of
Life Skills, Etiquette, Effective Communication Skills, Career and College Readiness, and Personal
Development. Youth participants in our Summer Program typically seek membership on the
DCYAC.

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The Charles Sumner School, Museum and Archives has been the host site for the majority of the
DCYAC’s activities, meetings, and events. The DCYAC has been in partnership with the Sumner
School for almost four years. Through this partnership, the DCYAC has access to countless D.C.
youth, parents, educators, and organizations through which additional partnerships have been
formed. In addition to the DCYAC’s programming, these partnerships have resulted in several
enrichment activities and events for hundreds of youth in various D.C. schools.

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