Mercer Island Youth - You are important members of the Mercer Island community and we want to hear from you about what’s working well and how we can better support Island youth. Applications are now being accepted for YouthMatters, the YFS youth advisory group.

Join us for the 2025-26 Parenting Mercer Island PARENT LAB to learn new skills, connect with other parents, and receive support from MIYFS staff and counselors! Parenting is important, figuring it out isn’t always easy.

Learn about the risks associated with the oral nicotine pouches that are designed to appeal to youth. Parents continue to be the #1 influence on their child!

The Mercer Island School District policy around cell phone use during the school day is responsive to the science of known risks and benefits. Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (YFS) offers tips and resources for parents to support their child/teen as they adjust to phone-free school days.

Fentanyl and other substances are negatively impacting the health of youth and adults in our region. Be informed about the serious risks of fentanyl and learn how you can protect yourself, your family, and others.

The mission of the Mercer Island Healthy Youth Initiative (HYI) is to successfully launch every Mercer Island youth into adulthood with a foundation of physical and mental health, well-prepared to cope with the academic, social, and emotional challenges of adulthood. Youth survey data shows that LGBTQ+ youth experience an elevated risk of anxiety and depression. There are many ways we can support and minimize the risks to ensure that all youth grow up feeling supported and seen. Check out resources to support our youth!

Island Space is a movement that promotes healthy lifestyles for teens in Mercer Island. Growing up here is different. There can be lots of demands on your space. Grades. Homework. Sports. Extracurriculars. Relationships. The pressure to succeed is real.

“Take Five” is an online tool to support youth mental health and wellbeing. The free and anonymous tool is designed to provide a personal, private, self check-in for youth about their emotional state and coping strategies. The tool gives individualized feedback to students and also provides factual information about what other high school students are experiencing to give students perspective.

Washington state has a teen smoking and vaping problem and it’s growing. When it comes to youth drug prevention, parents make a difference. Teens who believe that their parents will respond negatively to their drug use are less likely to use alcohol, nicotine, marijuana and other drugs. Access resources that provide data and tips for talking with your kids about vaping.