Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Youth Council Ambassadors topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tompkins County youth council ambassadors brief Ithaca council on civic projects and skills training
Summary
Members of the Youth Council Ambassadors (YCA) presented their year'long activities to the Common Council, describing civic engagement, ideation/problem solving, public speaking units, and service projects including 100 care packages for Code Blue.
A delegation of Tompkins County youth ambassadors presented to the Ithaca Common Council on March 5, summarizing a year of civic-skills training, service projects and community engagement.
The Youth Council Ambassadors (YCA) described three core skill units ' civic engagement, ideation and problem solving, and public speaking ' that structured weekly meetings from October through March. Student speakers described activities including guest speakers, peer-led discussions, a retreat, community service such as assembling 100 care packages for Code Blue and a Greater Ithaca Activity Center food project, and attendance at the New York State Youth Leadership Forum in Albany.
"Our mission is to speak and listen for youth of Tompkins County," said Dequan, a twelfth-grade ambassador. Kiara, a senior at Ithaca High School, said the program helped ambassadors build presentation skills and connect local issues to state and national topics. Cornelia Yee, a sophomore, described a retreat and team-building that set the tone for the year. The group also highlighted a communications subgroup that runs an Instagram account (yca_ithaca) and a meeting-leader subgroup that plans weekly sessions.
The presentation emphasized youth-led civic learning: ambassadors practiced a hypothetical public comment for council meetings and used "green and red frames" to identify community assets and needs. The YCA reported making 100 toiletry packages for Code Blue using an assembly-line approach and said members visited state legislative offices and participated in policy workshops in Albany.
Council reaction: Council members praised the ambassadors. Alderperson Fabrizio offered to attend a meeting to discuss possible collaboration; Alderperson Brown urged the council to continue and expand youth engagement. The mayor and other members thanked the ambassadors and encouraged future participation.
Why it matters: The youth program provides civic training and volunteer service that city officials said they value; council members signaled interest in deeper collaboration with the group going forward.
Ending: The ambassadors left the council with an invitation to follow their Instagram for updates and a request to return in future years with new projects.
