A Youth Council for Youth Voice

Youth and young adults, ages 14-20, who live in Travis County – DOWNLOAD AND COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION HERE.

The application deadline to serve on the 2008-09 Youth Council is Friday, April 25^th, 2008.

Open Youth Council Seats (as of April 14, 2008):

• American YouthWorks (AYW), Westlake, Manor, two "At Large" positions
• AISD High Schools:  LBJ (not LASA), Bowie, Crockett, Akins, Lanier, McCallum, Garza

If your high school already has its slot filled, you can apply to serve “At Large” for broader community representation

What is a Youth Council?

A Youth Council is a group of young leaders who represent the voices of youth in our community.  The council will advise elected officials and other policymakers about issues and interests of youth.

The Youth Council will be recognized by our community as a leadership and advisory body to represent the diverse needs and goals of young people in our community.

Who can apply?

• Youth and young adults, ages 14-20, who live in Travis County

What will our community’s Youth Council “look like”?

• 1 year commitment
• 20 seats, with representation from Austin area public high schools, youth who are “out of school” (left before finishing), a community college student representative, a 4-year college/university representative, and two at-large seats
• Applicants should be prepared to participate in interviews or pre-meetings during May 2008.
  

Why should I apply?

• Serve as a leader to solicit input from other youth and young adults, to make recommendations on important issues, and to represent the voice of youth to improve schools and the whole community
• Supportive and open format that empowers youth members to establish the framework and priorities of the Youth Council
• Leadership and team-building training to prepare Youth Council members for effective service; seminars and shadowing opportunities where adult elected officials share their leadership experience with Youth Council members
• An adult mentor for each youth Council member
• The Council has already received endorsements from Austin Mayor, Will Wynn and Austin school district trustee, Karen Dulaney-Smith.
• Incentives and support services such as child care, transportation, etc. 

Establishing a Youth Council in Austin/Travis County is an initiative of the Youth Engagement Team of the Ready by 21 Coalition.  Youth Engagement Team members represent a broad range of youth services organizations committed to supporting youth leadership and readiness for college, work, and life.   For more information or to help support the new Youth Council in Austin/Travis County, please contact:  Tim Eubanks of Austin voices for Education and Youth at teubanks@austinvoices.org or (512) 450-1880