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Local student fellowship proposed to pair teens with council members for one school term
Summary
A resident proposed the Civic Futures Fellowship to appoint students ages 15–18 as assistant aides to council members for one school term to increase youth civic engagement. The council took no formal action at the meeting; the proposer offered to help build program materials.
Ethan Brunton proposed the Civic Futures Fellowship during public comment at the Chehalis City Council meeting on June 29, 2025, suggesting the city appoint students aged 15 to 18 as council-member assistants for one school term to increase youth civic engagement and give students hands-on government experience.
Brunton described the fellows as non-symbolic aides who would “show up, observe, take notes, and assist with non-sensitive tasks, and occasionally give feedback or research input.” He suggested selection could be handled through schools or local nonprofits, that students could sign confidentiality agreements if necessary, and that the program would be low cost and low risk. Brunton offered to volunteer time to help draft applications, outreach strategies and orientation materials.
Council members did not take formal action at the meeting. The mayor invited Brunton to share contact information with staff to explore whether a pilot could be developed.
The proposal is at the idea stage; staff or council members would need to return with a program framework, selection criteria and a policy on student access to meetings and records before any fellowship were adopted.
