Twelve members from the Miramar Youth Advisory Council recently attended the National League of Cities (NLC) 2024 Congressional City Conference. Each year, the NLC invites youth councils from across the nation to participate in the Youth Delegate program. The program offers two days of youth-led programming, with sessions designed by the youth representatives who sit on the NLC’s Council on Youth, Education and Families.
The workshops included topics ranging from political polarization to parks, with panelists from local, state and federal levels. Youth council members had the opportunity to network and learn from youth councils across the nation.
During the conference, Miramar Youth Council President Ammar Mansuri led a workshop titled “Youth, Capitol Hill and City Hall,” which discussed the impact of youth on public park spaces in federal and municipal areas.
The conference highlighted the importance of youth involvement on topics that typically only adults are allowed to make decisions on, shared Youth Council Member Joevane Thomas. “Young people must engage in civic activities, attend city council meetings and voice their opinions on issues that affect us directly.”
Youth Council Member Khori Graham learned that youth have the opportunity to make differences in their cities, “whether it’s through our city officials, advocating for change or taking matters into our own hands. Youth around the country can make an impact to benefit the world around us to be a better and more educated place for generations to come, starting within our very own cities.”
Youth Council Historian Valeria Satizabal felt the workshops inspired her to take more initiative in Miramar. She said, “Seeing other councils setting examples makes me realize that my own voice does matter.”
Youth Council Parliamentarian Rachel Charles has attended five NLC conferences over three years. Charles said, “It’s crazy to remember how this conference was something that I dreaded attending due to my unfamiliarity with the world of politics and yet, now, has become the push that led me into pursuing political science at Davidson College this fall.”
The Miramar Youth Advisory Council’s vision is to encourage active citizenship and community involvement from tomorrow’s public service leaders. The program is open to high school students interested in learning about local government and serving as representatives for the city’s youth to discuss youth-related issues at the municipal level. To learn more, visit miramarfl.gov/1941/Youth-Advisory-Council. For more information about the NLC youth program, go to ccc.nlc.org/youth-program.
