Olympia approves creation of youth council

The Olympia City Council unanimously approved on Monday the creation of an Olympia Youth Council, which would provide a platform for youth to actively engage with local government.

The approved recommendations show that the youth council will have 20 members between the ages of 14 and 20. Members will serve one-year terms and can be reappointed a maximum of four times. The council's primary responsibilities will include community service projects, advising the city council on youth-related issues, and connecting youth to opportunities and resources in the city.

City Manager Jay Burney recommended an initial budget of $40,000 for staffing and operations to support these efforts.

The recommendation to establish a youth council was brought forward by local youth Christine Zhang and Tre Simons, who saw the need for elevating youth voices in local government decisions.

They approached Olympia councilmember Yen Huynh about creating a youth council, which led to hiring the youth council and Truclusion consultants.

Christine Zhang

Gavin Cruz

Tre Simons

Christine Zhang believes that the next generation of leaders should have a say in policies that will impact their future.

"We are the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and voters, and by participating in the government process, we are creating informed citizens and raising awareness on policies amongst us by facilitating our participation in policy consultations," Zhang said.

Consulting company Truclusion facilitated engagement with 44 local youth advisors to form the recommendations. These advisors represent 17 neighborhoods, 12 schools (including homeschooling), diverse living conditions (including unhoused youth), 11 races, 12 gender identities, and youth with disabilities.

The consultant's research team, headed by Ashley Gardner, PhD, studied over 290 nationwide documents from 74 youth councils to identify best practices.

Gardner interviewed liaisons, advisors, staff, and youth from 31 youth councils to get feedback and learn about their procedures. She analyzed four primary data sources, including national policies, with 290 documents like bylaws, websites, and applications from 74 youth councils nationwide.

Susan Grisham, assistant to the city manager, presented the proposed timeline for establishing the Olympia Youth Council:

• Early-Mid 2024: Continued engagement of youth advisors through a series of planning meetings. During these meetings, the advisors will work on developing the application and appointment process, planning a recruitment event, and establishing governing documents like the mission, vision, and purpose statements.
• Fall-Winter 2024: Application and recruitment period for the inaugural cohort of the Olympia Youth Council.
• January 2025: The City Council will appoint the first slate of Youth Council members from the nominees.