The Youth Leadership Commission is a peer-selected group of 15 civically engaged youth within the City of Walnut Creek. The youth commission’s main goal is to get students more involved and engaged with local government through various projects and outreach campaigns.
The Youth Commission usually takes upon three projects each term, and creates subcommittees to successfully execute each respective task. The Community Events subcommittee has been spearheading the recruitment process for a new Youth Chief’s Advisory Board member, as the current member is heading off to college. The subcommittee named “Street Stories’’ has been working diligently to ensure that the history of the streets in Walnut Creek is preserved by conducting research on Rudgear Road, Broadway, North Main Street and more; all the streets that make this city so special. They hope to display their historical findings in the form of signs throughout Walnut Creek. Lastly, the Policy subcommittee’s proposal to add one youth member to three of Walnut Creek’s City commissions (Arts, Parks Recreation and Open Spaces, and Transportation) will be presented to City Council on June 21st. A policy that calls for more youth representation adds diversity of opinion to local government and is essential to building a city that represents residents of a wider range.
The Youth Commission is thrilled to announce that it is accepting applications for its new term! This opportunity is open to high school students (grades 9-12) that currently reside in Walnut Creek. Students who are interested must fill out an application and will be interviewed by current Youth Leadership Commissioners and City Staff. If selected, commissioners may serve a two year term. Applications opened up on May 23, 2022 and the deadline to apply is August 19, 2022 by 5 PM. Those looking to become more civically engaged are highly encouraged to apply!
By Prapti Pradhan, Resident since 2005