Background: In 2008, Mayor of Wichita, Carl Brewer founded the City of Wichita Mayor’s Youth Council. Brewer was elected in 2007 and he served till 2015. The formation of the Youth Council was to match the formation of such youth councils in other cities across America and has been apart of Brewers lasting legacy. The Council is focused on providing the young people of Wichita with an opportunity to have a say, make a change, and get involved in local politics. The council helps its members to develop leadership skills by allowing them to coordinate group projects on local policy issues and engage with the community through acts of service.
National League of Cities City Summit: The 2023 NLC City Summit will be hosted in Atlanta, Georgia on November 16-18, 2023. In the fall 3 or 4 members will be selected to represent Wichita’s Youth Delegation. The summit will be a networking opportunity and way to organize collaborate with other likeminded people to help improve the quality of life for their current and future constituents.
Members and Group Makeup: The group makeup is made of students from all across Wichita and surrounding Wichita area. The group has a diverse spread of members of different ages, ethnic backgrounds, and they all represent different parts of the same city. Recent South High alumni, Amy Nguyen, was a member too as the food insecurity group co-chair.
“I Joined MYC because I wanted to further expand my knowledge on city government and community issues! I saw this as a learning and growing experience, and I realized it would help me connect with other amazing individuals across Wichita who are passionate about issues just as much as I am” – Amy Nguyen on the MYC Instagram.
The MYC meets twice a month on every 2nd and 4th Tuesday to
- Forge partnerships in the community
- Engage youth in projects throughout the city
- Advocate for youth of our community
- Be a positive role model for youth through activities such as educational support and leadership
- Be civically engaged and knowledgeable about the City of Wichita organization by learning from city officials
The agendas and minutes can be found on their website (https://www.wichita.gov/MYC/Pages/AgendasMinutes.aspx) and shows all their meetings including the latest from January 24th.
The Mayor’s Youth Council also has more information on their Instagram and Facebook.
Find the Wichita Mayor’s Youth Council’s Instagram at @ictmyc and their Facebook under Wichita Mayor’s Youth Council.
Activities: The 2022-23 year focused on issues like
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Food Insecurity
- Education
- Environmentalism
The group participates in activities and events year round including meetings with local government, state government, and the aforementioned NLC annual conference.
To find specific examples from the 22-23 activity schedule you can look to, https://www.wichita.gov/MYC/Pages/Activities.aspx
Application Information: The Wichita Mayor’s Youth Council has a set list of characteristics and qualifications they are looking for including being in grades 8-11, living in the city of Wichita, having at least a 2.5 GPA, “[having] a passion for serving your community”, and “[wanting] to learn about city government and be a leader among Wichita Youth.”
The deadline to apply has been extended to May 10th.
Application information and the online PDF form can be found at https://www.wichita.gov/MYC/Pages/Application.aspx
Selection Criteria includes:
- The student’s interest in serving on the Council. Participation includes attending one MYC regular meeting and one MYC issue group meeting each month, along with regular volunteering outings and other events as they arise.
- The student’s history of active community involvement, volunteerism, a desire to serve others, and public service.
- The student’s interest in potentially pursuing a college education and career in public service.
- The student’s desire to develop his/her leadership potential.
- The student’s history of academic achievement.
- Feedback from the student’s references.
- An interview with the selection committee.
