The City of Columbia is launching a Mayor’s Youth Council this January, led by Alderwoman-at-Large Andrea Porter, aiming to engage local high school juniors and seniors in city government and community service.
Porter, recently appointed to the Mississippi Municipal League Youth Summit Committee, said she felt called to steer Columbia youth toward leadership roles.
“I really do know that there’s an outcry for the youth to have more involvement and hear their voice,” Porter said. “We want to give them the opportunity to be involved, see the ins and outs, guide them and develop them into young leaders.”
Applications for the inaugural Mayor’s Youth Council will be available Nov. 1-30 at all high school counselors’ offices, City Hall and through a newly created Facebook page. The council is open to 11th and 12th graders at all county and city schools, with opportunities also extended to private and homeschool students.
Porter said this first year will be abbreviated, running from January through the end of the school year, but the goal is to establish a program that will follow the school calendar in future years. Students selected for the council will attend monthly meetings featuring guest speakers on leadership and city operations, participate in city board meetings and help shape the council’s service projects.
“We want to have a lot of input from the students as far as what’s important to them,” Porter said, noting that a community service project will be a central activity each year.
Opportunities for volunteering at city events and completing service hours are planned, and outstanding projects may be recognized at the statewide Youth Summit. Students will also be eligible for scholarship opportunities through both the Mississippi Municipal League and the city.
As the city prepares to welcome its first Youth Council, Porter believes the benefits stretch beyond Columbia.
“It looks really good on college resumes,” she said, highlighting that such involvement helps local students in statewide programs that give points for community leadership.
The Mayor’s Youth Council represents a renewed effort by city leadership to hear from and empower Columbia’s youth, according to Porter.
“If we can guide them and help them realize their voice matters, that’s a win for everyone,” she said.
