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Avon youth civic engagement council reports projects, asks council for support
Summary
Students from the Avon Youth Civic Engagement Council summarized this year’s projects — including a community garden, composting events and a middle-school mental health program — and asked town leaders to attend meetings and offer expertise to sustain membership.
Samantha, president of the Avon Youth Civic Engagement Council, told the Avon Town Council on May 22 that the student group has run environmental, outreach and mental-health projects and is seeking greater recognition and adult support.
"Our main mission is to bridge the gap between students and the greater community," Samantha said, describing the council’s three committees and recent work.
The council’s environment committee helped establish a community garden at Pekar Park and organized a composting day that produced starter compost jars for residents. The mental-health committee runs the Pathlight program at Avon Middle School South that brings mental-health awareness sessions to middle-school students; the outreach committee organized a Sunshine Sprint 5K to raise funds for pediatric cancer but reported timing and student-involvement problems this year.
"We started at Avon High School to serve as a group, to work for the greater community," Samantha said. "Even though not many people know what our group is, we still have strived to make our community a better place."
Nancy, elected 2025–26 president of the group, said the council plans to expand the Pathlight program to more middle schools next year by identifying sponsors and to refresh a previously abandoned school courtyard with plants. She said membership consistency has been a challenge and asked town leaders to attend meetings to offer expertise and inspire student volunteers.
"We plan on helping new members succeed and remain active members of the council by giving them purpose and showing them the professionalism of the council," Nancy said, and asked council members to consider coming to meetings and sharing advice.
Council members mentioned several adults who have supported the group, including "Mr. Ditto," who helped start the council, and Abby Veil, a high-school teacher who serves as a sponsor. Samantha and Nancy said students and town leaders can contact Ryan Cannon or Robert Pope for more information.
The presentation was informational; the council took no formal action on the youth council’s requests.
