Park City High School Junior Ellen Kuck became interested in public policy while on the school’s debate team. She had the idea of starting a new club focused on local government.
With the help of Park City’s community engagement team, that idea is now becoming a reality.
Kuck said local government offers a bigger platform for youth to get involved compared with national politics.
“On a local level, you can really see the change and you can talk to your local leaders," Kuck said. "It’s easier to reach them and you can really see the change in what you suggest in your local community.
Seats on the advisory council are open to students in grades 7 to 12 at Park City High School, Treasure Mountain Junior High, Ecker Hill Middle School, and private schools in the area.
Kuck said they hope to form a diverse group that will meet once or twice a month. There will be field trips to meet government leaders along with our opportunities.
“We’re also planning on learning like logistically what happens in the city government by learning about the different departments, but of course also holding discussions and talking about suggestions we can make specifically for projects that relate to the youth," she said.
The youth council has the full support of Park City Mayor Nann Worel. She said one hard lesson stands out when reflecting on her time in public service.
“You’re never going to be able to make everybody happy,” Worel said. “No matter what you do, there’s going to be people thrilled with the decision. There’s going to be people really unhappy with it. That’s a tough lesson to learn, because I’m a pleaser and I would like to make everybody happy. But that’s not possible.”
Applications to serve on the Youth Advisory Council are now open. The deadline to apply is Dec. 2 at 5 p.m.
A selection committee will choose up to 10 students to serve. Once formed, the new program will become a school-sponsored club. The application form can be found here.
