and propose solutions. The program also helps develop skills related to communications, public speaking and leadership. Though the Summer at City Hall program has been in place only a few years, the city is working to continually expand the program. Elk Grove will implement internships instead of job shadowing in summer 2018, and students will receive summer school credit for participating. The city is also planning to expand the program’s duration to run four to six weeks. “I loved meeting all of the guest speakers, from the mayor to the member of Congress and more. They were passionate and motivating,” says Maryyum Riaz, a former Summer at City Hall participant. “I also enjoyed job shadowing in the Police Department, going on a ride-along and learning about law enforcement.”
Youth Councils or Commissions Youth councils or commissions are formal bodies, typically established through the passage of ordinances or resolutions, comprising young people primarily between the ages of 12 and 24. Responsible
The Gonzales Youth Council serves as a liaison between the community’s youth, city council and school board.
for advising and informing government councils or boards, youth councils hold monthly meetings with agendas and minutes. In many cases, youth councils also work to organize civic engagement opportunities or initiate educational campaigns to support the needs of local youth. City of Gonzales Youth Council Champions Policy Change
Thanks to a long-standing practice of empowering and valuing youth voices in the community, the City of Gonzales has implemented a strong youth council. At a community forum event in 2013, two youths approached the city council with the desire to be more directly represented in the decision-making process.
In response, Gonzales adopted a resolution to create two youth commissioner seats on the city council. In 2015, the city enhanced its engagement efforts by partnering with the Gonzales Unified School District to pass another resolution that established the Gonzales Youth Council (in addition to the two youth commissioners) and added two nonvoting youth seats on both the council and school board. Support for the effort comes largely through city resources, including a half-cent sales tax, and a few small grants in the council’s early stages. “Gonzales is a young city,” says Gonzales City Manager Rene Mendez. “Youths in school make up almost one-third of our population. It’s important that we’re engaging the residents we serve, especially youth. continued
Laborers’ International Union of North America
Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren participates in the Teen Leadership Summit; a local reporter interviews members of the Gonzales Youth Council about the passage of a social host ordinance; and Gonzales Mayor Maria Orozco, center, and Assembly Member Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) join youth council members to discuss local issues. clockwise from top left
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Western City, June 2018
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