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SPARK Boston Council

The council works to give 20- to 35-year-olds a greater role in planning for the City’s future.

Applications are now open for Mayor Wu's next volunteer civic engagement council, who will participate September 2023 through August 2024. To be considered, you must live in Boston, be between the ages of 20 to 35, and the written application by Friday, May 26. You can learn more about the roles and responsibilities of SPARK council members at the bottom of this page. 

Apply Today 

What the council does

Advisers

The SPARK Boston Council advises the Mayor on City policies and programs affecting 20- to 35-year-olds. Leadership staff from the Mayor’s team come to monthly meetings to:

  • present upcoming plans and proposals
  • ask questions, and
  • get feedback from the group.

Council members help create and develop ideas to get 20- to 35-year-olds more involved with the City.

Ambassadors

Council members serve as the Mayor’s ambassadors to Boston’s 20- to 35-year-olds. We want our members to use their personal networks to get more young adults involved in the conversation.

Collaborators and innovators

Council members work in groups to develop and put in place programs that connect 20- to 35-year-olds to the City. Our goal is to highlight opportunities where 20- to 35-year-olds can engage with government and influence policy.

Expectations

Mayor Wu appoints members of the council. They serve under the SPARK Boston Director. We have certain expectations for members, including:

  • attending all monthly SPARK Boston Council meetings
  • attending at least one SPARK Boston event or social activity per month
  • actively taking part in group discussions (listen, ask questions, share experiences, give feedback)
  • using digital tools and people power to spread information and create awareness, and
  • helping to lead, manage, and take part in group projects.

If you fail to meet any of these standards, you may be disciplined or dismissed from the council.

2023-2024 Application FAQs

FAQs

We're looking for Bostonians aged 20 to 35 of all backgrounds. Whether you were born and raised here or just arrived a few months ago, if you are passionate about the City of Boston, we are passionate about getting to know you. Our current council is composed of artists, legislative aides, parents, students, tech entrepreneurs, small business owners, neighborhood leaders, non-profit employees, consultants, educators, and more. No matter where you are in your personal and civic journey, we want to see your application.

Yes, SPARK Council applicants must be Boston residents, but you are welcome to attend and collaborate on our events if you work in or live near the city. We should also note we love meeting new folks to be speakers, collaborators, and community partners! If you have an upcoming event or initiative you are seeking a community partner, there might be a great fit to connect. Reach out to us if you’re interested in chatting further about how to get involved as a non-resident.

During their year-long council term, each month council member is required to attend our regular council meeting on the first (or sometimes second) Monday of every month; one community meeting; and at least one SPARK event or small group meeting. You may also meet with other Council members occasionally for group projects. The upcoming Council term will begin in September 2023 and end August 2024.

You just fill out this application on Google Forms. We anticipate it taking about an hour to complete, but encourage you to go at your own pace. You can view all the questions in advance here.

The 2023-2024 council application will close on Friday, May 26. All applications will be reviewed then. As long as you submit your application in the Google form and send your resume to sparkboston@boston.gov by 11:59 PM EST on Friday, May 26, you will be considered for the council. 

After the selection committee reviews your application, you will be notified and informed by Friday, June 9 if you have moved on to the group interview stage or not. Group interviews will take place in-person in July, and final decisions will be released by the end of the summer. The 2023-2024 council will have its first meeting on September 11, 2023.

Council members

Council members
  • Anthony O’Neil, Allston
  • Kennedy Avery, Beacon Hill
  • Janine Jay, Beacon Hill
  • Olivia S. Harris, Brighton 
  • Cristen Mathews, Brighton
  • Steven Murnane, Jr., Brighton 
  • Liza Perry, Charlestown
  • Sydney Neugebauer, Chinatown
  • Abby Jamiel, Dorchester 
  • Brenna Galvin, Dorchester 
  • Alexa Monfort, Dorchester 
  • Yakeisha L. Gray Sinclair, Dorchester
  • Tania Jaime Lopez, Dorchester
  • Taufiq Dhanani, Dorchester
  • Emmy Carragher, Dorchester 
  • Ki Wan Sim, East Boston 
  • Liz Cory, Fenway-Kenmore
  • Ashley Garrett, Hyde Park 
  • Katharine Martinez, Hyde Park 
  • Jaye Meakem, Jamaica Plain 
  • Eryn-Ashlei Bailey, Jamaica Plain
  • Lendsey Thicklin, Mattapan
  • Hannah Hooven, Mission Hill
  • Hannah Schur, North End
  • Melissa Mazzeo, North End
  • Daniel Semeniuta, Roslindale
  • Melissa Beltran, Roxbury
  • Shaikh Hasib, Roxbury
  • Jasmine Rose, Roxbury
  • Aly Madan, Roxbury
  • Nohely Vargas, Roxbury 
  • Kyle Miller, Roxbury/Jamaica Plain
  • Rafael Trujillo, South Boston
  • Sarah Ballinger, South Boston 
  • Nicholas Fils-Aime, South End 
  • Ihsan Kaadan, West End 
  • Zachary Kinnaird, West End
  • Eduardo Sanchez, West Roxbury
SPARK Captains
  • Alessandra Panares, Allston-Brighton
  • Richard Meinke, Allston-Brighton
  • Anthony Nguyen, Dorchester
  • Kristyn Berry, Dorchester
  • Mia Healy-Waldron, East Boston
  • Thomas Pelkey, Jamaica Plain
  • Dianna Bronchuk, Roslindale
  • Caitlin Zeytoonian, South Boston

These members of the 2021 Council, 2021 alternates, and participants of the inaugural Begin in Boston council have generously agreed to volunteer their time in the nine-month gap as we transition back to a September council start. They are:

  • Alessandra Panares, Allston
  • Spencer Crawford, Beacon Hill
  • Victor Franco, Brighton
  • Ricky Meinke, Brighton
  • Taylor Bloom, Charlestown
  • Nyambura Barrow, Dorchester
  • Kristyn Berry, Dorchester
  • Anthony Nguyen, Dorchester
  • Romy St. Hilaire, Dorchester
  • Michelle Tan, Dorchester
  • Mia Healy-Waldron, East Boston
  • Amanda Sabia, East Boston
  • Jesse Flores, Fenway-Kenmore
  • Bassil Bacare, Hyde Park
  • Emily Carrara, Hyde Park
  • Atheena Arasoo, Jamaica Plain
  • Sumali Dey, Jamaica Plain
  • Jessica Lau, Jamaica Plain
  • Thomas Pelkey, Mission Hill
  • Kate Nicholson, North End
  • Dianna Bronchuk, Roslindale
  • Caiti Zeytoonian, South Boston
  • Anja Johnson, South End
  • Colleen Shea, West Roxbury
  • Jessica Lau, Allston
  • Oscar Lopez, Jr., Allston
  • Cristian Morales, Allston
  • Alessandra Panares, Allston/Brighton
  • Kat Waxstein, Brighton
  • Tara Wilson, Bay Village
  • Spencer Crawford, Beacon Hill
  • Frank Ulip, Beacon Hill
  • Julia Bogiages, Brighton
  • Sumali Dey, Brighton
  • Victor Franco, Brighton
  • Anita Yip, Chinatown
  • Intiya Ambrogi-Isaza, Charlestown
  • Nyambura Barrow, Dorchester
  • Kathleen Carroll, Dorchester
  • Anthony Nguyen, Dorchester
  • Dennisse Rorie, Dorchester
  • Romy St. Hilaire, Dorchester
  • Mia Healy-Waldron, East Boston
  • Amanda Sabia, East Boston
  • Xi Zhao Viola, East Boston
  • Lindsey Santana, Hyde Park
  • Monee Vance, Hyde Park/Mattapan
  • Albert Jimenez, Jamaica Plain
  • Thomas Pelkey, Jamaica Plain
  • Daphney Pacouloute, Mattapan
  • Genevieve Bien-Aime, Mid-Dorchester
  • Antonio Centeio, Mid-Dorchester
  • Dianna Bronchuk, Mission Hill/Jamaica Plain
  • Lilly Stairs, North End
  • Nicole Shults, Roslindale
  • Mark Martinez, Roxbury
  • Kensha Grandoit, Roxbury
  • Adriana Lasso-Harrier, Roxbury
  • Karol Mendieta, Roxbury/Jamaica Plain
  • Mohammad Haider Ali Abbasi, South Boston
  • Aishwarya Bhadouria, South End
  • Anja Young, South End
  • Ramie Schneider, South End
  • Kaitlin McCarthy, West End/Downtown
  • Bassil Bacare, West Roxbury/Hyde Park
  • Audrey Seraphin, Allston
  • Juan Cantu, Allston
  • Cristian Morales, Allston
  • Carrolee Moore, Allston
  • Oscar Lopez, Allston
  • Claire Coletti, Back Bay
  • Frank Ulip, Beacon Hill
  • Kat Waxstein, Brighton
  • Lexi Kantor, Brighton 
  • Intiya Isaza, Charlestown
  • Chris Canton, Charlestown
  • Anita Yip, Chinatown
  • Latia Holmes, Chinatown
  • Kaitlin McCarthy, Chinatown
  • Ayanna Polk, Dorchester
  • Ellie Sanchez, Dorchester
  • Stacy Cruz, Dorchester
  • Kathleen Carroll, Dorchester
  • Gabriela (Gigi) Coletta, East Boston 
  • Fernando Ortiz, East Boston
  • Jared Staley, East Boston
  • Shannon Montanez, East Boston
  • Aaron Dy, Fenway-Kenmore
  • Sarah Abkowitz, Fenway-Kenmore
  • Monee Vance, Hyde Park
  • Delanoe Johnson, Jamaica Plain
  • Evelyn "Ellie" Hitt, Jamaica Plain
  • Daphney Pacouloute, Mattapan 
  • Julia Gueron, Mission Hill
  • Meredith Moshier, North End
  • Nicole Shults, Roslindale
  • KT Merseles, Roslindale
  • Jhanel Chew, Roxbury
  • Mark Martinez, Roxbury
  • Kiara Kerr, Roxbury
  • Ashli Molina, South Boston
  • Nayeli Rodriguez, South End
  • Mike McDermott, South End
  • Alen Amini, West End
  • Matt Murphy, West Roxbury
  • Bhakti Varma, Allston
  • Jordan Thornlow, Allston
  • Tanya Pham, Back Bay
  • Marguerite Silverman, Back Bay
  • Adrienne Zak, Beacon Hill
  • Justin Flynn, Brighton
  • Aidan McDonough, Brighton
  • Tess Atkinson, Dorchester
  • Crystal Chandler, Dorchester
  • Miles Halpine, Dorchester
  • Peter McCawley, Dorchester
  • Meghan Harrell, Dorchester
  • Jazmyne Jackson, Dorchester
  • Josh Waxman, East Boston
  • Kim Mendoza Iraheta, East Boston
  • Corinne Wardian, Fenway-Kenmore
  • Mika Gross, Fenway-Kenmore
  • Nolan Tesis, Hyde Park
  • Alisa Pimentel, Hyde Park
  • Helena Berbano, Jamaica Plain
  • Sebastian Zapata, Jamaica Plain
  • Taylor Cain, Jamaica Plain
  • Jennie Rose Halperin, Jamaica Plain
  • Samantha Montano, Jamaica Plain
  • Helen Mayer, Mattapan
  • Christina Paris, Mattapan
  • Dani Niro, North End
  • Jonathan Bekele, Roslindale
  • Gloribel Rivas, Roslindale
  • Sasha Goodfriend, Roxbury
  • Karleen Porcena, Roxbury
  • Portsha Franklin-Gordon, Roxbury
  • Analiese Barnes-Classen, Roxbury
  • Lindsey Butler, South Boston
  • Casey Baines, South End
  • Maggie Riddell, South End
  • Michelle Sohn, South End
  • Greg Bohenko,  West End
  • Kathryn Niforos, West Roxbury
  • Meredith McCarthy, West Roxbury
  • Alexis Walls, Allston
  • Jackie Lender, Allston
  • Neel Desai, Back Bay
  • Mikaila Waters, Back Bay
  • Michael Winston, Bay Village
  • Paige Friedlander, Beacon Hill
  • Catalina Ocampo, Brighton
  • Patricia Cahill, Brighton
  • Emily Murphy, Charlestown
  • Jenna DeAngelo, Chinatown
  • Agostinha Depina, Dorchester
  • Gabrielle Sims, Dorchester
  • Christopher Walker, Dorchester
  • Yusuf Ali, Dorchester
  • Francis Huynh, Dorchester
  • Kevin Walther, Downtown Crossing
  • Devon Williams, East Boston
  • Daniel Shea, East Boston
  • Siddhi Doshi, Fenway
  • Darcel Hunt-Finegold, Hyde Park
  • Rosa Herrero de Andres, Jamaica Plain
  • Carmel Levy, Jamaica Plain
  • Paul Gels, Jamaica Plain
  • Fernando Rodriguez, Jamaica Plain
  • Shanice Wallace, Mattapan
  • David Wu, Mission Hill
  • Helen Sharma, Mission Hill
  • Rourke Harrington, North End
  • Maggie Walsh, North End
  • Andrea Clavijo, North End
  • Ying Wang, Roslindale
  • Keveisha Robinson- Clark, Roxbury
  • Matt Parker, Roxbury
  • Michael Yu, South Boston
  • Shane Dunn, South Boston
  • Alexandria de Aranzeta, South End
  • Constance Fontanet, South End
  • Michaela Hughes, West Roxbury
  • Durante Barringer, Jamaica Plain
  • Katie Belgard, Dorchester
  • Kenzie Bok, Bay Village
  • Andrew Breiter-Wu, Roxbury
  • LaRay Brison, Dorchester
  • Ben Bungert, Mission Hill
  • Joshua Carr, Dorchester
  • Benjamin Cole, South Boston
  • Lauren Doty, Jamaica Plain
  • Modjossorica Elysee, Hyde Park
  • Tamika Francis, Roslindale
  • Robyn Gibson, Mattapan
  • Rosy Gonzalez, Beacon Hill
  • Art Gordon, Roxbury
  • Michael Harris, Brighton
  • Kyndal Henicke, East Boston
  • Gary Howell-Walton, Allston
  • Alexander Le, Back Bay
  • Conor LeBlanc, South Boston
  • Tariana V. Little, Dorchester
  • Oliver Madden, North End
  • Wes McEnany, Dorchester
  • Tina Natale, North End
  • Fhiwa Ndou, Brighton
  • Abigail Ogilvy, Charlestown
  • Temi Ogunbodede, Hyde Park
  • Rebecca Phu, West Roxbury
  • Michael Rodriguez, Hyde Park
  • Edith Shi, Allston
  • Jonathan Spillane, West Roxbury
  • Judith Ternes, South End
  • Darneesh Thornton-Johnson, Fenway
  • Nicholas Vance, Dorchester
  • Justin Yiu, South Boston
  • Jaclyn Youngblood, Jamaica Plain
  • Kevin Becerra, Dorchester
  • Leland Berman, Beacon Hill
  • Emma Blaxter, Jamaica Plain
  • Nicola Braginsky, Fenway/Kenmore
  • Diana Brennan, Beacon Hill
  • Alessandra Brown, Hyde Park
  • David Brown, West Roxbury
  • Jessica DesCarles, Dorchester
  • Andrew Destefano, East Boston
  • Max Egan, Back Bay
  • Jessica Frattaroli, North End
  • Dave Falvey, South Boston
  • Christine Galatis, Roslindale
  • Cristina Garmendia, Allston
  • Reynolds Graves, Roxbury
  • Karleen Herbst, South Boston
  • Liam Hoare, East Boston
  • Chu Huang, South End
  • John Hynes, Fort Point
  • Jasmin Johansen, Mattapan
  • Senam Kumahia, Back Bay
  • Michael Landry, South End
  • Kevin Liang, West End
  • Marlena Love, South End
  • Cara Matthews, Roxbury
  • Benji Moll, Back Bay
  • Tyler Murphy, Downtown
  • Ruth Nkemontoh, Brighton
  • Anthony Richards, Dorchester
  • Nicole Rodriguez, Roslindale
  • Christopher Rusk, West Roxbury
  • Ken Ryan, South Boston
  • Rachel Spekman, Dorchester
  • Ryan Walsh, South Boston
  • Donald Washington, Hyde Park
  • Adam Weisman, Back Bay
  • Matthew Wells, South Boston
  • Laura Alvarado, South Boston
  • Jonathan Berk, Fenway/Kenmore
  • Cole Boskey, South End
  • Ross Chanowski, Fort Point
  • Brendan Ciecko, South End
  • Chrislene DeJean, Mattapan
  • Jill Epstein, Mission Hill
  • Lee Glandorf, West Roxbury
  • Jessica Hamilton, Jamaica Plain
  • Terron Hill, South End
  • Teisha-Vonique Hood, Back Bay
  • Michael Keimig, North End
  • Jennifer Kent, Back Bay
  • David Lank, Fenway Kenmore
  • George Lewis, Back Bay
  • Kimberly Lyle, Roslindale
  • John Mahony, Brighton
  • Erin McEvoy, South End
  • Michael McEvoy, Jamaica Plain
  • Marty Nee, Charlestown
  • Gary Pelissier, Beacon Hill
  • Hunter Perry, North End
  • Sabrina Sandberg, Beacon Hill
  • Daniel Scarver, East Boston
  • Kelly Scott, Brighton
  • Michael Sulprizio, East Boston
  • Anthony Toppi, Brighton
  • Judy Wang, Back Bay
  • Chenglin Yuan, Beacon Hill
  • Nakeisha Jones, Dorchester
  • Erica Thomson-Moseley, Roxbury
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