In an effort to get more young people involved in civics, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards has created a new advisory panel known as the Youth and Young Adult Council to introduce the “youngest and fiercest” community advocates to both community service and organization.
Members of the advisory body will advocate concerns through means of community engagement by participating in one of two cohorts. The first will be made up of high school representatives between the ages of 13 and 17, while the second cohort will be comprised of young adults between the ages of 18 and 25.
“Our youth are the leaders of tomorrow, and as such, they deserve to have a seat at the table as well as opportunities to be civically engaged,” Richards said. “I’m thrilled to engage our younger community members in envisioning Queens’ future, and working together to create the blueprints to make that a reality.”
Applications to serve on the first-ever Youth and Young Adult Council at Queens Borough Hall are now being accepted. The deadline to apply is Thursday, Feb. 23. Those who are interested can apply here.
The young adults cohort will feature advisers, who are expected to have at least five years of experience working with youth, preferably in Queens. Advisers will be tasked with empowering participants to make independent decisions and will utilize their networks to introduce and connect participants with people and organizations that will further expand their vision and borough-wide initiatives.
The cohorts will meet monthly, and each will develop proposals to make Queens a more inclusive borough for young people. Each cohort will present its proposals to the borough president. Members of the council will serve for a year and applications will be open to new members at the end of each school year, but current members will not have to reapply until their terms are up.
“I encourage youth and young adults from all corners of Queens to apply,” Richards said. “Your borough needs you.”