Engaging the Next Generation: Engage wide representation of community youth and college students by creating opportunities to participate in city government (including commissions).
Best Practice of this action
Rating Guideline
 |
Student involvement in Youth in City Government Day; student group engaged with city on a project; student/intern help with GreenStep action entry. Report city staff efforts to support schools/youth to improve their own schools under BPA 24.4. |
 |
Student involvement in a city green committee/commission; separate youth/student committee or commission (note to what extent it focuses on sustainability issues); high school student internships offered in city government; formal city volunteer program focused on youth; create a professional development and/or mentorship program. |
 |
3 or more youth/students of varying backgrounds involved in a campaign working directly with your city council; 2 or more dedicated youth positions on a city environmental commission; ongoing connection between a high school environmental club and city commission that has youth positions; regular student interns to work on sustainability issues. |
Resources
Commissions and Councils:
- See Best Practices for Youth on City Environmental Commissions (2019).
- In 2010 the National League of Cities published the comprehensive Authentic Youth Civic Engagement: A Guide for Municipal Leaders.
- From Washington State read dozens of youth participation examples and sample documents of youth commissions, councils, advisory boards, and student internship programs.
- See, for example, the Brooklyns Youth Council, the Rosemount Youth Commission and the St. Paul Youth Commission.
- Student leaders serving on a City Commission can join a Youth Leader Network, supported by Climate Generation and Resilient Cities & Communities.
Engagement in sustainability:
- Two MN organizations help students engage with city government: Youth Environmental Activists Minnesota (YEA! MN) and Youth Eco Solutions (YES!).
- Unlocking the Power of Youth: A Checklist for Local and Regional Governments (ICLEI, 2023) shares insights about how to recognize and harness youth's potential in their efforts to achieve ambitious climate targets through local action. ICLEI's comprehensive checklist serves as a practical and effective tool for governments to: engage effectively with young individuals, understand their interests and experiences, and harness their unique perspectives to drive collective climate action.
- The Youth Engagement Playbook for Cities: How to tackle the climate crisis through collaboration with youth (C40, 2021) aims to help cities around the world to strengthen meaningful youth engagement in their climate action. The Playbook outlines eight key considerations: 1. Let young people lead the way, 2. Be inclusive and equitable, 3. Use social media and digital tools to aid engagement, 4. Partner with organizations, 5. Understand where young people are at, 6. Engage youth people as meaningfully as you would other stakeholders, 7. Empower youth people to be involved in city processes that are not just ‘youth-focused’, 8. Provide opportunities for youth leadership development.
- California’s Institute for Local Government provides tips for Engaging Youth in Your Agency’s Sustainability Activities.
- How Cities Use the Arts to Promote Youth and Community Development (NLC, 2023) shares how arts can elevate youth voice, build and strengthen community relationships, and expose youth to further opportunities.
- USAID provides Youth Engagement in Development: Effective Approaches and Action-Oriented Recommendations for the Field, which explores the ladder of young people's participation.
- The National Civics League reviews seven best practices in Best Practices for Youth Engagement in Municipal Government.
Internships:
- Cities interested in using a college student intern to assist with one or more tasks (i.e. joining the GreenStep program, creating a green team, reporting on GreenStep actions completed, and working on new actions, etc.) should approach their local educational institution and use the GreenStep Intern Manual (2016).
- Cities that need help in connecting with a local post-secondary school should contact their regional CERTs coordinator. Some cities have worked with a local high school, whose students often can assist a city under a school-required service learning agreement.
- Youth and Young Adult training and service opportunities available in Minnesota:
- MN GreenCorps (AmeriCorps) - recent college graduates serve with communities and nonprofits to increase resiliency to climate change.
- Conservation Corps MN/IA (AmeriCorps) - youth and young adults grow as environmental stewards and leaders while giving back to the community through meaningful service.
- Community Forestry Corps (AmeriCorps) - engages members in the preservation and revitalization of Minnesota’s forests.
- Home Energy Corps (AmeriCorps) - provide education and services to encourage energy efficiency and the use of solar energy in households.
- Lead for Minnesota (AmeriCorps) - recent college graduate fellows serve with small and medium sized communities working on the toughest challenges facing their communities.
- Increasing Diversity in Environmental Careers - fellowship, mentorship, and paid internship through Conservation Corps, MnDNR, MPCA, and BWSR for underrepresented STEM college students.
- Emerging Environmental Leaders - cohort based program connecting young adults in Minnesota with state agency leaders on Minnesota’s most pressing environmental issues.
Order Number
6
Action Type
Finite