Mayor Swears In Youth Commission

Announced by the city of Northampton

Youth Commission Meetings

Young people will be in charge of the world some day. Everybody tells you that.

But you really can make a difference in your city NOW.

Youth Commission meetings are run by the members, you set your priorities and you set the agenda.

You should be between the ages of 13-18 and a resident of Northampton.

Please attend the next meeting of Youth Commission:

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH
7:00 PM
MAYOR'S OFFICE
CITY HALL, 2ND FLOOR

Fill out the application and bring it to the meeting.
Youth Commission Application

Youth Commission Members

Youth Commissioners for the 2012/2013 School Year:

Joni Sullivan (co-chair)
Emma West (co-chair)
Robby Lewis-Nash (vice chair)
Jonah Hahn (treasurer)
Jamie Yurgielewicz (secretary?)
Jojo Renard
Willy Matteson
Mia Lloyd
Kerry Fleming
Cassie Geesling
Mariel Lutz
Morgan Menzyk

Mayor swears in Youth Commissioners on 1/16/13

MISSION:

The Northampton Youth Commission serves to create a means of communication between city leaders and young people in Northampton. The Northampton Youth Commission is a group of young people between the ages of 13 - 18 who are interested in working to improve the lives of young people in the community by discussing issues of concern and working to provide solutions. We are always open to new ideas and suggestions to involve youth in the community.

The City government liaison to the Youth Commission is City Council President Bill Dwight.

The Commission meets in City Hall a few times a month to address issues that are relevant to the youth community; for example, members organized an Anti-Bullying assembly at Northampton High School. They have worked to organize a well set-up assembly to get the message of community and unity across to all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. The hope is to make NHS a "No Hate Space" where bullying is not tolerated. The members have also been a part of a project in collaboration with Lilly Library in Florence in which the library hopes to involve young adults more in their programs. In doing so, the members created a letter of reference for the Library.

As an on-going project, the Commission has developed a survey to be distributed in order to receive feedback about the potential success of a youth center in town. The survey covers the topics of accessibility, safety, public-interest, and convenience. Based on the results of this survey, the Commission plans to make a decision on the next step for the prospective center.

The Youth Commission works hand in hand with the City Council President, giving him our opinions about city government. During this process, the Commission also learns about how city government functions and how to advocate, gain support for, influence changes and decisions made in the city. The Commission meets with other groups as well, such as the Human Rights Commission and representatives of the Police Department.

The Youth Commission is always looking for new members. If you want to make a change, if you are interested in the way the city works, or if you just have an interest in what we are doing, come to one of our meetings or fill out the application and email to Mayor's Office.

Please, if you are interested, TAKE ACTION!

Northampton Youth Commission
c/o Mayor's Office
City Hall, 210 Main Street
Northampton, MA 01060
413-587-1249
mayor@northamptonma.gov

Image courtesy of northamptonma.gov