A push for more youth participation in local government was a reoccurring topic at Tuesday’s Rochester City Council meeting.
Under new business, Rochester Mayor Trent Odell detailed his idea for a new scholarship for high school seniors enrolled in government classes, both spring and fall semesters. They would submit an essay, titled “If I were mayor,” to vie for cash prizes.
“I’d like to get the high school kids more involved in our government, more involved in our community,” Odell said. “I think they need to be heard, and I think we need to hear from them.”
He noted essays are to be submitted anonymously and on a voluntary basis, with three winners selected by the council. First prize is $1,000, second prize is $500 and third prize is $250.
Those prizes, funded out of the mayor’s promotional fund, are to be awarded annually at senior honor night.
After hearing the proposal, the council spent some time discussing whether it should specify that students’ winnings go toward post-secondary education.
“Honestly, we can’t sit up here and govern how they’re going to use it,” Odell said. “We can’t split hairs on this, I don’t think.”
The council ultimately came to the conclusion that the cash prizes should be spent on whatever that student needs to move themselves forward.
“It keeps local government in touch with our youth, their ideas, their dreams they have for our community, but it also lets them know that we’re interested in what they think,” Odell added about the essay competition, which was unanimously approved by the council.
Odell also detailed plans to launch a Mayoral Youth Advisory Council with possibly up to nine student members. They would get the opportunity to voice student and youth perspectives on issues facing the community, while learning how boards operate and make decisions.
Odell is to discuss the proposal with Rochester Schools Superintendent Jana Vance and Rochester High School Principal Oscar Haughs sometime this week.
In talking to other mayors, Odell noted that such youth councils have proved to be very beneficial in other communities. He added the high school is very excited about the idea, which may take until the fall to get implemented.
In meeting with Vance and Haughs, Odell also plans to discuss the continuation of having a student serve as a non-voting member of the Rochester Park Board. The position was created by former Mayor Ted Denton to bring a youth perspective to the board and give selected students a better understanding of their city government. Former RHS students who have served in the role are Emma Feldman, Ethan Trottier and Keyton Doran. Trottier is now an elected member of the Rochester School Board.
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