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City Platform Section II, Step 6:
"Expand opportunities for youth participation and leadership through programs offered by city recreation departments, libraries, museums, and other youth-serving organizations."
Youth leadership in local programs promotes the full and healthy development of young people. Through civic engagement, young people gain work experience, acquire new skills, learn responsibility and accountability, develop a greater sense of confidence, empowerment, and membership, and forge meaningful connections to other youth and adults.
Research also suggests that young people who are involved in positive activities such as community service and participate in civic affairs are less likely to pursue risky behaviors and get into trouble.
City Examples
Denver, Colo.
"Hands On Denver," a volunteer program with the Denver Parks and Recreation Department, led local efforts for National Youth Service Day (NYSD). Throughout the service days, youth who serve on the NYSD Organizing Committee visited different project work sites, acting as the spokespersons for their city's youth to the media.
Projects included cleaning and painting local park structures; trail clean-ups; seeding; and tree planting. The Hands On Denver administrator noted that the youth involved in the project made it very clear that they were serious about serving the community, and were particularly enthusiastic about a project to transform a vacant lot into a handicapped-accessible play area.
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Caldwell, Idaho
In Caldwell, Mayor Garret Nancolas engages high school youth in leadership roles with the city through the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council (MYAC). Through the Council, youth have become deeply involved in city efforts to expand local recreation venues.
Approximately twenty youth served on the various planning committees for the creation of a new YMCA in the city, including the steering committee and committees charged with fundraising, site selection, facility design, programming, and selecting an executive director.
For example, youth on the program committee distributed 1,200 surveys at local schools to determine the programs, activities, and equipment that were important to young people; in the end, the top four programs recommended by youth were all included in the facility.
Working with other MYAC members, the two youth on the fundraising committee used coin tosses and competitions between the local high schools to raise a total of $15,000, for which they had secured a one-to-one match from the Urban Renewal Agency. The YMCA opened in October 2005 and continues to include youth on the board of directors.
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Resources
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