Everett Youth Council details ARPA plan: scholarships, bus passes and ‘little pantries’

Talia and Juan, speaking for the Everett Youth Initiative Council, on Tuesday told the City Council that students used a ranked-choice process to decide how to spend a $1 million American Rescue Plan Act award and prioritized scholarships, free MBTA Charlie cards and small school-based pantries.

The students said the scholarship proposal targets low-income graduating seniors; the plan as presented would cap awards at 66 students at up to $3,000 each. The youth council reported it received more than 80 applications and that five high‑school teachers reviewed submissions using rubrics developed with Human Resources and Action. The students said income verification required by the ANSWER advisory panel is strict and that the youth council must use a subrecipient to hold the funds; they identified the Elliott Resource Center as that subrecipient.

Councilors pressed the students for implementation details and timetable. Councilor Martins and others asked for a transition and spending plan so remaining ARPA funds are not at risk of being returned to the federal government. Councilor Smith pointed out that the proposed 66-student cap equals roughly $198,000, leaving about $800,000 to allocate and arguing the administration must act to avoid losing available funds. The students said any unused scholarship money would be redirected first to the pantry and bus-pass projects and ultimately revert to the city if unspent.

Councilors recommended a check‑in and asked staff to provide further information about the subrecipient arrangement and the process for ARPA compliance. Councilors also suggested considering broader eligibility criteria (for example, measures of demonstrated adversity) while acknowledging the federal and advisory-panel constraints the students described.

The Council voted to accept the presentation, and referred follow‑up questions (including a request to consider changes to income‑eligibility guidance) to the appropriate staff and committees with a request for a response by the Council’s second meeting in June.

The students said they will continue to work with the subrecipient to secure documentation and move toward awarding scholarships before college semesters begin.