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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Adrienne M. Holloway Ph.D., Chief Innovation Officer
DATE: August 15, 2017
SUBJECT:
Resolution Establishing the Aurora Youth Council
PURPOSE:
To provide leadership development opportunities for Aurora youth through the creation of the City of Aurora Youth Council (AYC). The AYC will assume an advisory role for our elected body on issues related to our city's youth population as well as be involved in conducting outreach and engagement activities to ensure young people are becoming more involved in their city.
BACKGROUND:
A significant component of your vision for the city of Aurora was to increase civic engagement among Aurora residents, particularly our young residents. After meeting with members of several diverse Aurora based youth groups, it was determined that an initial approach to increasing youth civic and community participation is through the establishment of a youth council.
This AYC will provide a structure to which young people will be able to develop leadership skills, administration and management skills and interpersonal skills by virtue of AYC's responsibilities, which will include:
*Delivering research presentations to the Aurora Mayor and City Council on youth determined subject matter.
*Organization and execution of AYC led events.
*Attendance at community events as representatives of the AYC.
The City of Aurora has contained within its corporate boundaries representation of 6 school districts(1) that collectively serve 84,166 students(2), where 18,8912 are high school aged. High school graduation rates for area students are on average 88% with a range of 64% on the low end (East Aurora High School) and 98% on the high end (Kaneland High School)(2). It is anticipated that the involvement of youth within the AYC as well as the work of the AYC will contribute to increasing graduation rates. It is also expected that the AYC will directly and indirectly encourage young people to pursue advanced educ...
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