The City of Campbell River wants young people to be involved in the local government.
Which is why the city is encouraging youth to get involved and apply to be in this school year’s Youth Action Committee.
The committee is made up of ten to 12 students in grades nine to 12. The point of the group is to gather young people who want to make Campbell River a more youth-friendly city.
Anna Bissonette is the outgoing chair of the committee. She first got involved when she was in grade nine.
“It’s very informational and very helpful for the future of Campbell River. The future of Campbell River IS youth and to have input on what’s going to be happening in the community at such a young age is really impactful,” Bissonette said.
She says committee members have the opportunity to learn about what the city deals with, such as climate change and various political issues that affect the community.
Bissonette adds being in the committee opened her eyes to what is possible for the city, how it can grow, and how youth can help.
“It impacted me in the sense of not just Campbell River, but in general. Because it made me create relationships and connect with people who weren’t just my age. I was able to talk to younger kids and older people.”
She says it was an honour to be able to create events like the Youth Hackathon. She wasn’t the chair for when the committee suggested having a series of summer events that became the CR Live Streets events, but she was part of the committee that did.
The committee advises the city on a range of projects and issues including art, recreation, transportation, environmental initiatives, among others.
The application package can be found here. Completed applications can be submitted to school administration, City Hall or emailed to [email protected].
The deadline for applications is September 30th.
