CAPTION: CREDIT HUTCHINSON YOUTH CITY COUNCIL
By Emmie Amezola
The Hutchinson Youth City Council is hosting a meet and greet this weekend.
It’s more than just a hi and bye event, though.
Community members will have the opportunity to genuinely engage with the youth council on Saturday at George Pyle Park from 1-4 p.m.
Youth City Council Advisory Board member Esmeralda Tovar-Mora said community members will get to hear about ongoing projects the youth council is working on and provide input for future initiatives. Hot dogs, chips and drinks will also be provided at the event.
“It’s not just like a quick meet and greet like ‘Hey, I’m going to get food, let’s go’ because we know that food brings people together,” Tovar-Mora said. “It’s also to foster that community engagement, but also underscores their mission to bridge that gap between the young people, the young residents, the youth and local governance. And so by participating, the people that attend this can contribute to this collaborative effort into shaping a more proactive Hutchinson just because the youth city council is an initiative that engages our local students here in Reno County in civic leadership and community service.”
Tovar-Mora also said that engaging middle and high school students gives them a platform.
“This essentially gives them a platform so that they can use their perspectives and their voice and develop those leadership skills to actively participate in governance and ask those hard questions,” Tovar-Mora said.
The Hutchinson Youth City Council is composed of five members. They meet on the fourth Thursday of every month at City Hall, located at 125 East Avenue B, at 6 p.m.
“They have a great group going this year,” Tovar-Mora said. “Especially being able to have support from a previous president, it’s just been able to be like full circle that the youth have that intentional mindset to be able to seek out our youth in our community regarding issues that maybe they could have like an input for.”
The youth council members are President Kayelyn Wellington, Vice President Katilynn Holtz, Activities Director Maddlynn Mosley, Treasurer Alaina LaMunyon and Secretary Maggie Mosley.
