The Community Livability and Public Safety Committee unanimously approved the recommendation establishing an Olympia youth council, which aims to give young people a voice in local government.
At the CLPS meeting on September 27, consulting firm Truclusion Senior Manager Dane Wolfrom presented the team's research and the process leading up to the recommendations.
Olympia commissioned Truclusion to do the research for establishing a youth council.
Wolfrom explained the importance of equity and ensuring youth voices are represented in city governance, noting that while youth comprise 1/5 of the population, they do not get to vote or run for office. He suggested asking the youth what success means to them and what they want to accomplish rather than imposing adult perspectives on them.
Truclusion’s process to study creating a youth council included meeting with Olympia youth advisors to define what success for a youth council would mean to local youth.
The research team, headed by Ashley Gardner, PhD, studies 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.
Locally, the researcher had discussions with 40 Olympia youth advisors to get local youth perspectives and priorities.
According to Wolfrom, Gardner analyzed four primary data sources, including national policies, with 290 documents like bylaws, websites, and applications from 74 youth councils nationwide.
Yien Wang Folino, Truclusion managing principal, provided information about the Olympia youth advisors. She said advisors played a crucial role in defining what success means for a youth council and identifying priorities through meetings with Trueclusion’s research team. Their input was critical to developing the recommendations.
According to Folino, they conducted a robust youth recruitment that included promoting the opportunity to local schools, 27 youth-serving community organizations across social media, and posting flyers around the city.
As a result, Folino said 44 individuals became youth advisors, represented 17 neighborhoods; 12 schools, including homeschooling; different living conditions, including one without a home; 11 different races; 12 different gender identities; and one youth with a disability.
Some recommendations include:
It will be called “Olympia Youth Council,” which prioritizes young individuals’ voices and decision-making power. It will function under the city government, similar to other Olympia committees.
Its primary mission is to engage with the city government, offer recommendations to the city council, and advise city officials on issues from the perspectives of young people in the decision-making process.
Funding for the council will come from the city general fund, with access to grants, donations, and other resources.
The recommended size for the youth council is 20. This number is based on the average size of youth councils nationwide and the vision of Olympia Youth Council advisors.
The youth council will have a well-structured process for application, nominations, and appointment. A youth council selection panel will comprise youth and ex-officio adults responsible for nominating candidates. The council will accept applications from youth aged 14-20.
The city council will then consider and appoint members based on the recommendations provided by the selection panel.
Members would serve one-year terms, with the option to serve up to four consecutive years if reappointed annually through a check-in process. That addressed concerns about intimidating youth with long commitments while allowing for continued experience over multiple years.
The youth council will focus on community service, civic engagement, and connecting youth with resources and opportunities. They will advise the city council on the concerns of the youth community.
The council will actively engage with various schools in the area and prioritize diversity regarding geographic residence, gender, age, school enrollment, race, and ethnicity among its members.
Clear structure, effective marketing, equitable selection processes, and youth-centered leadership are recommended to help ensure sustainability.
In the same meeting, one of the youth advisors, Christine Zhang from Olympia High School, further explained the importance of youth voices in decision-making, saying she has seen as a member of the Olympia School Board as a student representative the importance of giving youth a seat at the table.
“We are the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and voters, and by participating in a government process,” Zhang said. “We are creating informed citizens and raising awareness of policies amongst youth by facilitating our participation in policy consultations.”
“Most importantly, we are continuing Olympia's mission towards creating an equitable environment where youth with irreplaceable live experiences and perspectives have a say in policies that affect them and the people they know," Zhang continued.
Tre Simons shared the inspiration for creating the Olympia Youth Council. He said they had seen the success of youth councils across the nation, and he believed that Olympia needed to follow suit and develop its council.
Simons and Zhang brought the idea to Councilmember Yen Huynh, who then requested a referral for the possible establishment of a youth council.
"In so many communities, youth are predominantly overlooked group. We believe that the youth voice seemed lacking in a city as politically powerful and influential as Olympia," Simons commented.
The council's duties include community service projects, civic engagement, connecting youth to resources and opportunities, and advising the city council.
Gavin Cruz, a junior at Olympia High School, reiterated that youth voices will be heard and amplified through the youth council. The council will identify the priorities, approaches, and solutions.
The committee will send the recommendations to the whole city council for consideration.
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