charlotte-mecklenburg youth council report 13-14

2013‐14 Report

A program of GenerationNation in partnership with the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and Charlotte‐Mecklenburg Schools

OVERVIEW

The Charlotte‐Mecklenburg Youth Council is a student‐led non‐partisan program of GenerationNation* in partnership with the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and CMS.

Through the youth council, high school students:

Learn about local government, civic issues, and community problem‐solving.

Meaningfully engage in local policy and decision‐making.

Build civic literacy, civic engagement, and civic leadership knowledge, interests, and skills.

Highlight civic issues of importance to children and youth.

Network with youth from schools, neighborhoods, and perspectives across the community.

Serve as an advisory resource for community leaders.

*GenerationNation – until 2011, named Kids Voting Mecklenburg – is a 501c3 nonprofit organization in Charlotte‐Mecklenburg. Smart, fun activities connect the classroom with hands‐on experiences to build civic literacy and leadership from an early age. Programs include K‐12 civic education, the mock election, Charlotte‐Mecklenburg Youth Council, Youth Civics 101, and other initiatives. Why does it matter? 25% of Charlotte‐Mecklenburg’s population is under 18 years of age. Youth are stakeholders who need to be at the table, as the community’s present and future. Youth are a resource to help community leaders to make better policies and resources impacting kids. 2013‐14 accomplishments included: Launching communitywide youth council, including recruiting youth and investing time to

introduce the program to officials and to build youth knowledge about civic issues and local government.

Meeting twice a month and getting involved in additional service and leadership activities through the year.

Conducting regular dialogues with city, county, and CMS leaders on topics including education, planning, budgeting, policy development, economic issues, and other topics.

Hosting special activities including Candidate Forum for Youth, Youth Leadership Summit, and Alumni College 101.

Representing Charlotte‐Mecklenburg students at conferences and special events related to education, policy, leadership, and government.

Using social media to reported on civic issues and government meetings; wrote youth candidate guide for election 2013.


2013‐14 YOUTH COUNCIL ACTIVITIES • Regular meetings and opportunities for deeper engagement on local issues through service‐

learning, leadership, research and education, and student voice.

• Meetings with leaders to learn about local government and civic issues, and share feedback.

o Charlotte mayor, city manager, and city council members

o Mecklenburg County manager, BOCC members, and staff

o CMS Superintendent, executive staff, and school board members

o Business and community leaders

o Planned and led introductory joint meeting with city, county, and CMS officials

• Attending city council, county commission, and school board meetings

• Investing time to learn about, discuss, share feedback on community issues including

o How Charlotte‐Mecklenburg works, community history, leadership, structure

o Community growth, planning and land‐use, including green‐space, parks, libraries, roads, housing, and infrastructure

o Mayor issue, why council‐manager form of government works

o Education, afterschool programs, charter schools, services for youth

o Governance of Charlotte airport and other state‐local issues

o Inter and intra governmental collaboration and bipartisanship

o Prioritizing, funding, and budgeting for government services, needs, and wants; public budgeting, capital and operating budgets; Mecklenburg County bonds

o Local government services, funding, structure, governance

o Taxes, economic development, jobs, and workforce development

• Creating a youth candidate guide to educate peers and the public about candidates running for Election 2013 offices (Charlotte, towns, and Board of Education Districts 1‐6) and local government. In FY2015, the guide will feature BOCC candidates and county government.

• Leading a youth forum to interview candidates for Charlotte mayor. Video clips were shared on the web for community use and classroom study.

• Representing Charlotte‐Mecklenburg youth at multiple community events and 2 annual conferences; learning about Charlotte‐Mecklenburg history, policy, and growth through community bus tour and other hands‐on experiences.

• Using student voice to report on and share youth perspectives on civic issues.

• Through dialogue, research, and meetings with officials, identifying issues impacting children and youth for potential youth council focus in FY15.


RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMMUNITY OFFICIALS Through dialogue, research, and meetings with officials, students identified the following critical issues impacting children and youth. The youth council recommends that community leaders address these issues in FY15.

Collaboration and bipartisanship

What are leaders and governments doing to solve problems…together? Collaboration and bipartisanship across all leadership and governments (city, county, towns, CMS, and North Carolina) is essential to the success of children and youth as well as our schools, neighborhoods, businesses, and community. We are concerned that leaders and governments are not working together.

Make children and youth a priority

Do leaders and governments consider children and youth a priority? We need you to prioritize and fund services impacting all kids across the community, and include youth early on in the planning and budget processes. We are your future.

Access to youth programs and services

Why is it so hard to get information about and access to youth programs and services? Before you create anything new, kids need to know what’s available now. We need to have a simple way to find the information, programs, and support we need to help us be healthy, safe, and educated for college, career, and civic life.

Charlotte‐Mecklenburg’s future

What is the future of Charlotte‐Mecklenburg and North Carolina? We want the community and state to grow and be successful in the future so that we, as today’s students, can be here work, live, play, and lead as adults. We are invested in making the community great now, and for the future.


WHO WE ARE Youth represent the widely diverse Charlotte‐Mecklenburg community. Youth attend public, charter, religious, and independent high schools and live in neighborhoods across the community. There is diversity in gender, race/ethnicity, economics (living in public housing to gated communities), and factors such as religion, LGBTQ status, physical handicaps, political ideologies, career interests, and having non‐English speaking parents. Participants 2013‐14

# students participating in a youth council activity # high schools (CMS and non‐CMS) # hours of service % Female % Male % Black % White or Middle Eastern % Hispanic % Asian % Charlotte residents % Mecklenburg town residents % of students engaged in youth council work outside of meetings % of students involved in youth council leadership

114 28 1340+ 65% 35% 44% 39% 10% 7% 87% 13% 76% 28%

An additional 100 students receive regular information, participate in surveys, follow youth council activities, etc. but have not participated in a physical meeting. The youth council is designed to be inclusive, offering opportunities for students to attend a meeting on a topic of interest or to engage more deeply through meetings, service, and leadership. Importantly, youth are limited by time – we are busy – and by external factors such as family issues, jobs, sports, transportation, weather, homework, etc. Even if we can’t attend every meeting, we are still committed to making Charlotte‐Mecklenburg a better place! Youth are recruited through school leadership, guidance counselors, teachers, student government and newspaper advisors, local governments, youth organizations, social media, news media, and other ways.


BOCC/CMSBD

7%

27%

20%18%

14%

14%123456

CLTCC

14%

20%

13%11%

20%

9%

13% 1234567

Approximate distribution by BOCC and CLTCC district, based on information provided by students. Factors impacting equal participation include transportation challenges, particularly in areas of on the county perimeter, as well as competing activities. For example, the Lake Norman area has its own youth council. Myers Park students in South Charlotte are exposed to a large number of extracurricular activities. We will continue to work to recruit students to ensure the council is representative. CMS School Board representation is the same as BOCC districts.

Youth Council 2013‐14 Maggie Abney Charlotte Catholic Hikmat Al‐Chami East Mecklenburg Lade Aladeyini Cato Arryana Alexander North Mecklenburg Stuart Algood Providence Day Brandon Arceneaux West Charlotte Lydia Ashburn Providence Deirdre Austin Independence Rebecca Bakhole East Mecklenburg Quentin Blair West Charlotte Morgan Boderain Ardrey Kell Clarissa Brooks South Mecklenburg Amari Brown Hopewell Rickey Burch Butler Daniel Chavez Charlotte Catholic Hannah Cheramie Providence Alasia Chestnut Vance Sarah Cho South Mecklenburg Sumaya Chowdhury Cato Bryce Cracknell North Mecklenburg Mia Cremisi Myers Park Vincent Crisp North Mecklenburg Jaylin Cureton Charlotte Country Day Malin Curry Independence Samantha Delvecchio Providence Day Caroline Donlon Myers Park Sarah Fellman Providence Damara Garcia‐Garcia Northwest School of the Arts Lindsay Gardner Myers Park Callan Ghareeb Lake Norman Charter Lauren Glaze South Mecklenburg Sydney Greene East Mecklenburg Lauren Gullett Mallard Creek Indira Gutierrez Phillip O'Berry Lauren Gwaltney Butler Molly Harmon Independence Savanna Henry North Mecklenburg Olivia Hicks Lake Norman Charter Malanah Hobgood Northwest School of the ArtsMyah Hobgood West Charlotte Shawna Howard Harding Austin Hunt Ardrey Kell Samina Hussein Home school Asha Jama East Mecklenburg Brianna Jenkins Hopewell Kelly John Northwest School of the Arts Corshonda Johnson Harding Cierra Johnson Vance

Abby Johnston Northwest School of the Arts Sarah Kerman* North Mecklenburg Jason Kerman North Mecklenburg Hannah Kinney‐Kobre Myers Park Scott Lerner Providence Day Nadiya Little Vance Afra Mahmood Mallard Creek Fizah Mahmood Mallard Creek Dan'Tayia Marable Butler Casey Margeron Charlotte Catholic Destany Martin Harding Mika Maynard Butler Katie McDowell Charlotte Latin Lauren McDowell Charlotte Latin Alondra Medina East Mecklenburg Nia Moore Northwest School of the ArtsValentina Morales Cato Elizabeth Morris Cato Jordan Murdock Olympic Aadithya Nair Ardrey Kell Jourdan Nichol Hough Alea Paige Hopewell Lauren Parks Hopewell Eleanor Parry Providence Day Maria Patino Cochrane Steven Patrick Providence Kyla Payne Vance Alton Peques South Mecklenburg Hadiya Presswood West Charlotte Arianna Pullin Providence Day Brenda Ramos Phillip O'Berry Mackie Raymond Myers Park Laura Restrepo East Mecklenburg Mekhi Rhodie Performance Learning CenterKayla Richardson Marie G Davis Jimmie Royster Vance Kayleigh Ruler Charlotte Catholic Tyri Rutland Garinger Fallon Scott Cato Allison Semands East Mecklenburg Ashley Sprague Mallard Creek Andrew Sun Myers Park Emily Tiehen Charlotte Catholic Chandler Vaughan Mallard Creek Emma Vaughan Myers Park Tori Wentz Cato

Leadership Council – students who met requirements for participation, service, and leadership * President


WHAT WE’RE LEARNING

Knowledge of topic Start of year End of year Growth

Local government 2.17 4.29 43%

Local civic issues 2.61 4.29 34%

Government funding 2.28 4.41 43%

How public policy decisions are made 2.39 4.29 38%

Who makes the decisions 2.61 4.41 36%

Needs of other schools & neighborhoods 2.39 4.24 37%

How to engage in and impact civic issues 2.44 4.59 43%

Youth increased confidence and skill as active, engaged citizens and leaders. All learned about community issues, engaged with public officials, and met youth from other schools and parts of the community.

A little more than half of the youth believe that local officials understand the needs of young people and that community leaders involve youth when evaluating and making decisions impacting kids. Through continued youth council efforts – with the collaboration and support of community leaders ‐ this number should increase in future years.

Topic Result Know how to read and analyze information 90%

Am a leader 94%

Can make good decisions 95%

Am a good communicator 91%

Am interested in civic issues and leadership 90%

Learned about a community issue this year 100%

Engaged with a public official on an issue this year 100%

Met youth from other schools and parts of the community this year 100%

Believe that local officials understand the needs of young people 58%

Believe that community leaders involve youth when evaluating and making decisions impacting kids

54%

Join the Charlotte‐Mecklenburg Youth Council. Care about community and school issues? Want to make your voice heard on important policies and decisions impacting children and

youth? Here's your chance!

Who? Open to all high school age youth – great for leaders/emerging leaders, journalists & all others interested in leadership, news, policy issues, and government.

What? Teens work with and advise local officials and policymakers on issues and decisions

impacting K‐12 students, learn about local government, network with students from across the community, build civic leadership, and use student voice to report on and highlight issues and government actions impacting youth.

When? Meets twice a month, usually (but not always) on Tuesday evenings at 6:00‐8:00PM

Where? Most meetings are at the Charlotte‐Mecklenburg Government Center in downtown

Charlotte. When you sign up, you will receive regular meeting info, directions, etc. for each activity. Free CATS/LYNX passes available to assist students with transportation.

How do I sign up?

Contact GenerationNation with your name, email, phone and school

Email [email protected]

Phone 704‐343‐6999

Learn more www.generationnation.org/youth

The youth council is a program of GenerationNation, in partnership with the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and Charlotte‐Mecklenburg Schools.


VIDEO AND PRESENTATION Watch the Youth Council 2013‐14 Report Video http://bit.ly/youthvideo13_14

View the Powerpoint presentation www.generationnation.org/youth Learn more about the youth council www.generationnation.org/youth

charlotte-mecklenburg youth council report 13-14

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