L. Schwartzenberger
File photo
If elected officials want more youth engaged in civic politics, they need a voice.
Oliver Town Councillor Larry Schwartzenberger is urging his colleagues to establish a new youth advisory committee as a way to engage young people and give them a role in local government.
With council placing more emphasis on attracting young families to Oliver, Schwartzenberger feels Town officials could benefit from gaining the perspective of Oliver’s future taxpayers. He said the response from his fellow councillors has been favourable and he has spoken with Southern Okanagan Secondary School’s vice-principal Tracy Harrington to gauge the students’ enthusiasm for the project.
If there is enough interest, Schwartzenberger added, he would like to see the advisory committee come to fruition in the fall. His hope is that the committee would attend at least two council meetings per year, as a delegation.
“I see it as an opportunity to learn, for us, as well as for young people,” he explained. “It’s a chance to be able to know what their priorities are and what interests them, and then give them the chance to deliberate with their peers and tell us how we can make the community a better place.”
Schwartzenberger emphasized that the number of members and how they were chosen would depend on how much interest in the committee is generated by September.
Facilitator Jorge Salazar reviews students’ suggestions for youth outreach projects during a youth summit held at Southern Okanagan Secondary School in April. The event was organized by the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs.
Erin Christie photo
“It’s in the early stages,” he said. “Right now we’d like to see if we can get anyone involved,” Schwartzenberger said. He is recommending the committee be comprised of students between the ages of 16-18.
If the committee were to be formed, Oliver wouldn’t be the first to try and involve young people in politics.
The City of Vancouver launched an inter-generational children, youth and families advisory committee in 2013, while Saanich and Victoria have both established youth advisory committees within the last 10 years.
“I think [a youth advisory committee] is an amazing opportunity, not just for the kids who would be involved, but also for the people who live here,” said SOSS student Dylan Parsons.
Parsons, 16, who recently attended a youth summit at SOSS, hosted by the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs, said he enjoys events like the summit, where youth are given a chance to discuss their concerns and ideas with adults. He hopes an advisory committee would result in more activities for youth and the introduction to more youth-related service groups.
His schoolmate, Simi Mand, 16, also attended the summit last month. Mand said she would also be interested in leading her peers via a youth advisory committee.
“I think it’s a good learning experience. Plus I think seeing people their own age get more involved would motivate more young people to join things.”
Mand recently enrolled in the Oliver Youth Ambassador program and said she is looking forward to taking on a bigger role in the community.
Jorge Salazar, youth advocate and former member of the Vancouver Foundation’s Children, Youth and Family Advisory Committee, facilitated the Boys and Girls Club summit.
He said getting young people’s input in programs and services has become an international best practice, allowing municipal governments to better meet the needs of its residents on everything from library book selection to bike trails and park designs.
“Towns can benefit from having a more diverse range of perspectives,” said Salazar. “You’d be amazed at what they can accomplish.”
He warns that in order for advisory committees to work, town officials must genuinely listen and take the committee seriously. He said if there is no value placed on their opinions it can hurt the sense of empowerment.
“Young people care about the community and want to make it better. If you give them a venue to do that they can really make a difference,” Salazar said.
Erin Christie
Oliver Chronicle
