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High school student joins Parks Board as student liaison; board plans social media outreach
Summary
Ocean Shores Parks Board welcomed student liaison Elton Rocky and discussed using social media and school partnerships to boost youth participation in parks and recreation programs.
The Parks Board introduced Elton Rocky as its new student liaison and discussed immediate steps to increase youth engagement, including an Instagram account and school surveys.
Kristen Hartman and board members welcomed Rocky and said the student liaison role will help the board collect feedback from middle- and high-school students. "I'm really excited to have you," Hartman said when introducing Rocky, who identified himself as a high-school senior and said he will work with the board to reach other students.
Shelley Johnson said she and board members have already begun gathering data at the high school about ‘‘third spaces’’ — safe places where students can gather outside home, church and school — and that Elton will help expand that outreach. Board members discussed using social media to reach younger residents and suggested partnering with Associated Student Body (ASB) groups and counselors to run a youth survey.
Rocky offered to help the board create and run an Instagram account for parks information targeted at younger residents. Board members also noted prior conversations about surveying students to learn what amenities would encourage youth park use and suggested the board could pursue grants to cover program costs and transportation for outlying students.
The board did not make formal policy changes but directed staff and volunteers to pilot social-media outreach and student surveys as part of a broader youth-engagement effort.
