During our weekly conversation with Wisconsin Rapids Mayor Shane Blaser, the mayor speaks on the youth council and how to get involved:

How the mayor’s youth council works

Created in 2014, the Mayor’s Youth Council (MYC) is a youth-led initiative where students have learning opportunities in the areas of leadership, government, and community; engagement opportunities in a variety of student-developed projects; and relationship-building opportunities with peers and local leaders. For more information, visit wirapids.org/mayors-youth-council.

Applying for a spot on the council

The MYC is open to area students, grades 9-12. Members are appointed to two-year terms, unless they’re a senior at the beginning of their term, with an option to reapply at the end of their term.

The application deadline is Sept. 30 and students will receive a response by the first week of October.

For more information about recruitment or to submit an application, please call the mayor’s office at 715-421-8216 or visit wirapids.org/mayors-youth-council-recruitment.

The upcoming term

This year’s MYC and advisors will be tasked with doing good work under the limitations created by the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to participating in creative brainstorming and considering how we might take advantage of technology to reach our goals.

Our first meeting with the full membership will be in October, during which we will develop a list of project ideas and learning opportunities to consider. Then we will create criteria to objectively evaluate project ideas to reach a final list of projects and learning opportunities to pursue this school year.

In the past, we’ve seen the students choose a wide variety of projects, including social media campaigns, social events, research and community outreach. Learning opportunities might include tours and guest speakers.

While this year of MYC might present some special challenges, I know we’ll see the students step up to the plate.