Dade City, First Place: Cinco De Mayo Parade, by Reyes Figueroa
The Florida League of Cities announced the following youth councils as winners of its inaugural Community Service and Photography Municipal Youth Council Competitions.
Community Service
- First Place – City of Niceville’s Youth Advisory Council—Niceville City Cleanup
- Second Place – City of West Palm Beach’s Mayor’s Youth Council—Grassy Waters Everglades Preserve
- Third Place – City of St. Petersburg’s Mayor’s Youth Congress—Scrubbin’ Da Burg
Photography
- First Place – City of Dade City’s Youth Council: Cinco De Mayo Parade, by Reyes Figueroa
- Second Place – City of Port Orange’s Youth Advisory Board: City Center Road in Black & White, by Emma Dominguez
- Third Place – City of Gulfport’s Teen Council: Clymer Park, by Cameron Althaus
Links to photos and summary of winning projects are available online here.
“The League’s new youth council contests are a great way to showcase the benefits of engaging the next generation in local government activities,” said Susan Haynie, president of the Florida League of Cities and mayor of the City of Boca Raton. “I believe it is important to expose young people to civic education at an early age so they can understand the scope of municipal services and can become more engaged citizens in the future. It is wonderful to see our cities’ youth councils already working hard to better their communities.”
The photography contest encouraged youth council members to take a picture of something that tells the story of why they love their city. Each photo had to be the applicant’s original work and accompanied by a brief statement of how that photo depicts the reason they love their city.
The community service or volunteer contest focused on a youth council project for a specific single citywide effort to successfully address a local need. In 500 words or less, applicants described their project in detail and told how it was timely, innovative, effective, successful, cost-effective, and adaptable. The applicant could also include five pages of supportive materials, such as news articles, letters of support, and more.
Winners will receive a trophy, monetary award, and recognition at the League of Cities Annual Conference. They will also be featured in the League’s statewide publication, Quality Cities (QC) magazine, and will have their win presented on the League’s website and Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Youth councils are organizations composed of students, and may also serve as an advisory board to a city commission/council. Many times, these students are selected to serve based on their leadership potential or their desire to learn more about their community and give back through volunteer service.
For additional information on youth councils, visit the League’s Youth Council Resources page at http://www.floridaleagueofcities.com/resources/youth-councils.
