And the fhyouth.org website was born.

This website is meant to provide access to information gathered during the summers of 2002 and 2003 by the youth mappers on opportunities for youth around Franklin and Hampshire counties. In 2005, local young person, Cheri Gallegos, updated our databases. Fhyouth.org also provides information on how young people in the area should go about finding a summer or after-school job.  It also includes information on interning, volunteering, and choosing a career.  We have included some useful links to other related websites. 

What's Community Youth Mapping?
Community Youth Mapping was a project sponsored by the Franklin Hampshire Youth Council.  During the summer of 2002 and 2003, young people from Franklin and Hampshire counties canvassed the community to gather information on all resources for children, youth, and families. They  searched for education, employment, enrichment, social services and recreational opportunities, and compiled them for this website to be used by their peers.  They  targeted the business community as well in order to identify local businesses that are committed to community development and support the well-being of the area’s young people.  The youth mappers tried to locate employment opportunities for teenagers where they exist now or will in the future.

Community Youth Mapping initiatives have been launched across the country to get young people more involved in identifying both the rich resources and the gaps in services and opportunities in their towns and neighborhoods.  Young people participating in this leadership development project have received training through the nationally recognized AED Center for Youth Development and Policy Research.

What is the Franklin Hampshire Youth Council? 

The Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board hosts a Youth Council, which is mandated by the Workforce Investment Act to advocate for the education and career development of young people in Hampshire and Franklin counties.  The council oversees several programs, including School-to-Work Connecting Activities, the Community Youth Mapping project, and the Workforce Investment Act Youth Programs for disadvantaged youth with barriers to employment, which includes the Summer Youth Employment Program and year-round education and counseling through the YWCA in Hampshire county and FCAC Youth Programs in Franklin county.  For more information about the youth council, contact Patricia Crosby, Director of the Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board, at 413-773-1835.