Alachua Youth Advisory Council Receives Statewide Award

ALACHUA – The City of Alachua’s Youth Advisory Council was among five of the state’s youth councils to win the 2020 Florida League of Cities (FLC) Municipal Youth Council Community Service Contest.

The FLC annually hosts the Municipal Youth

Alachua Youth Advisory Council Receives Statewide Award

ALACHUA – The City of Alachua’s Youth Advisory Council was among five of the state’s youth councils to win the 2020 Florida League of Cities (FLC) Municipal Youth Council Community Service Contest.

The FLC annually hosts the Municipal Youth Council Community Service Contest, which showcases community service projects performed by municipal youth councils that successfully address specific needs in their local communities.

The City of Alachua Youth Advisory Council members include Santa Fe High School students Lacey Walls (Chair), Megan Walls (Vice Chair), Nathan Breman and Caleb Land, and Addison and Aiden Grosz of Eastside High School.

The students presented the “Election Education for Youth” project, concentrating on educating and empowering youth in the city, state and national election process.

The Council partnered with the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections to set up information booths at high schools, where they engaged with students directly about voter registration and the election process. The goal of the project was to help young or soon-to-be voters become more informed and more civically engaged.

“I am grateful to these students for the work they put into this project,” said Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Kim Barton. “I am hopeful that other youth advisory councils can use it as a model for sharing important civic information with young people.”

The project served as a timely assignment with upcoming 2020 election races approaching, but the Council was just as focused on creating an important mindset for students to participate in the voting and election process beyond 2020.

“Engaging youth in government systems of all levels allows important viewpoints to be heard,” Council Chair Lacey Walls explained. “And, it provides teens with the ability to shape their futures from the moment they’re able to exercise their right to vote.”

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