Council Info
The Youth Council was originally started in August 2017 at the request of the City Council.
There are currently 20 members in the Youth Council.
The Garden City Youth Council is a leadership development program in which youth in grades 9-12 that are currently enrolled in high school within Garden City.
Funding varies depending on events but it typically ranges from $3,000 - $5,000.
The Youth Council is funded as a line-item within the Executive Department’s Annual Budget.
Meetings are typically held once a month.
Garden City Hall or Groves High School or another predetermined location.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Garden City Youth Council is to promote and receive input from the youth in the community to develop and sustain programs and activities for the youth and to provide a vehicle to learn about government, participate in the process and to represent the needs of the youth in this community.
Vision: The Garden City Youth Council seeks to prepare youth for a lifetime of public and community service regardless of the youth’s present or future career aspirations.
Motto: “Preparing Youth for a Lifetime of Public and Community Service”
Code of Conduct
In order to ensure all of the students are receiving the most out of the program we ask that every student attend as many events and meetings as possible however we understand that other commitments such as sports
Selection Process
The Youth Council includes students in grades 9-12 that are currently enrolled in high school within Garden City. The students are selected by their teachers and school principal.
City department responsible for overseeing the council
The Special Projects Coordinator within the Executive Department oversees the Students, the Budget, and Activities for the Youth Council.
Does group act as an advisory committee for your City Council and/or County Commission
The Garden City Youth Council is a leadership development program that provide recommendations and advice to City Council for encouraging activities to be undertaken for and with the youth in the City, and to provide assistance in carrying out such activities.
Does group participate in overnight events?
Yes. For any overnight events, there must be 1 adult chaperone for every 7 students attending the event. All students must have a waiver signed by their parents acknowledging the dates, locations, and reason for the trip. If the students are staying overnight, there are typically 4 students to a room (2 queen beds per room) with male and females staying in separate rooms. The chaperones must have a cell phone number for each student to communicate easily via text/email and every student must have a “partner” with them at all times for safety. Typically, the students travel in a bus or van to be used during the event.
Words of advice to share with cities considering the establishment of a youth council
Recommend asking City Council for their support and participation before developing the program to ensure they have “ownership” in the program. And then meet with a neighboring community’s department contact to ask for ideas and lessons learned and don’t be afraid to “borrow” their ideas, documents, etc. Most of all, make sure you have a dedicated staff person that is willing to commit the time and energy to working with the students.
Event Description
Walking in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Swearing-in Ceremony, Savannah/Chatham Day at the Capitol, Soft Skills Training, Garden City “Job Shadow” Day that included hands-on learning with the Fire Department, Police Department, Parks & Recreation, Public Works, etc. Please see the attached schedule of events for an example list of events.