The Florida League of Cities announced the Cape Coral Youth Council, Miramar Youth Advisory Council and Pinellas Park TeenWorkX Youth Council as the 2023 Municipal Youth Council Video Competition winners. The annual competition aims to provide a way for Florida’s youth councils to showcase their ideas, creativity and commitment to their communities.
Municipal youth councils are special councils that typically serve as an advisory board to the local government. They are composed of high school students within the city and are sometimes referred to as youth corps, teen advisory boards or mayor’s youth councils.
“This competition has been a remarkable platform for Florida’s youth to express their creativity and passion for their communities,” said FLC President Greg Ross, Mayor of Cooper City. “These videos capture what makes their city special and emphasize the invaluable contributions youth councils make to enhance their communities.”
This year’s video competition asked councils to address what makes their city, town or village great; what their community offers its residents, businesses and visitors; and how their youth council helps to make their community great.
The Cape Coral Youth Council video highlights their scenic locations, wildlife, population growth and community events. Their video depicts community involvement with residents coming together to enjoy live music in their local park. The video also speaks to their passion for service through their monthly volunteering opportunities, such as Adopt-A-Road, to keep their city looking clean and inviting. They go above and beyond and are one of the first youth councils in the state to adopt a strategic plan and lay out their goals to develop their council.
The Miramar Youth Advisory Council highlighted many attributes that make their city special, including its green spaces, events, educational opportunities and diversity. The city continues to expand with walking trails and a newly opened skate park. Their video exemplified the many ways they are involved in their community including volunteering to distribute water and set up tables at the mayor’s 5K run, handing out candy at the city’s Trick or Treat event and regularly updating the City’s Commission on their progress and goals.
The Pinellas Park TeenWorkX Youth Council highlighted that their annual events, recreational services, business opportunities and diverse cuisines contribute to separating their city from the rest. The Council showed their involvement in the community with visual representation of taking care of their garden boxes, maintaining their agricultural farm and cleaning neighborhood parks.
