April 30, 2026 – Springfield, Massachusetts – Sixty students representing 22 high schools across Hampden County came together on April 30 at the Basketball Hall of Fame for the Hampden District Attorney’s Office Youth Advisory Board Conference, where they shared their perspectives on public safety, prevention, and the issues impacting their generation.

Students traveled from communities including Agawam, Chicopee, Springfield, East Longmeadow, Holyoke, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Wilbraham, Palmer, Westfield, and West Springfield to participate in the event, which focused on open dialogue around public safety, prevention, and issues impacting young people.

Throughout the school year, students in the Youth Advisory Board meet bi-weekly at the District Attorney’s Office, working in small groups focused on topics including AI and social media, disability awareness, mental health, substance use, healthy relationships, and environmental sustainability. Students research these issues and develop projects aimed at creating change or awareness within their schools and communities.

At the conference, each student had the opportunity to present their work, sharing their research, ideas, and solutions with an audience of more than 200 attendees, including school leaders, local legislators, and members of law enforcement. The event is designed to give those in positions of influence a clearer understanding of the issues affecting young people today, and how that insight can inform their work moving forward.

“This conference is about listening,” said Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. “These students are thoughtful, aware, and deeply invested in their communities. They’re identifying real challenges and offering ideas on how to address them.

“The goal is not just to speak to young people, but to hear from them,” Gulluni added. “If we want to be effective in prevention, we have to understand what they’re experiencing in real time.”

The Youth Advisory Board Conference is part of the Hampden District Attorney’s Office’s ongoing commitment to education, outreach, and strengthening connections with the communities it serves.