Governor seeks applicants for statewide youth council

Date: 7/27/2010

BOSTON -- Continuing the Patrick-Murray Administration's commitment to broaden civic engagement throughout the Commonwealth, the Statewide Youth Council has announced that applications for the 2010 - 2011 class of the governor's Statewide Youth Council are being accepted.

The Youth Council, established by Executive Order in 2008, encourages young people to become involved in their communities and to participate in tackling the state's biggest challenges including education reform, teen violence and civic engagement, by assuming leader-ship and planning roles.

"The Inaugural class brought great ideas to the table and challenged us to think about a number of issues in fresh ways," Gov. Deval Patrick said. "I commend the Youth Council for all of their hard work and look forward to welcoming another group of bright young people into the next class."

As those closest to issues affecting youth, Youth Council members inform and advise the governor on decisions and policy that will improve the lives of young people across the Commonwealth. In addition to developing essential leadership and grassroots organizing skills, members of the Youth Council have the opportunity to become active participants in state government and build connections with adult leaders throughout the state.

Youth Council members will attend monthly meetings and conference calls over their two-year term to learn from members in other communities and incorporate these ideas into effective policy. Members will participate in panels on public policy issues, just as current members participated in panels on autism, the New Americans Agenda and the Shannon Grant program.

The Inaugural Youth Council also organized "Connecting for Change," a statewide Youth Summit that took place in October 2009, and advocated for key issues in the Administration including the historic anti-bullying legislation that was signed by Patrick in May.

If you are between the ages of 14 and 20 and are passionate about making a difference in the lives of young people across Massachusetts, we would en-courage you to consider applying to serve on the governor's Statewide Youth Council. Two members from each of the Commonwealth's 14 counties will be selected.

For more information on the Youth Council and to obtain an application, please visit www.mass.gov/governor/youthcouncil or contact Anny Jean-Jacques in the Governor's Office of Community Affairs at (617) 725-4020.

The application deadline is July 30.