Atherton youth advisory group seeks council support as it expands events and civic activities

At the Atherton Town Council meeting members of a newly formed Atherton Youth Advisory Group described their mission to provide teen perspectives to town government and to build community among local youth.

Fiona Leppres, a junior at Sacred Heart Prep and founder of the group, told the council the advisory group grew from about five members in 2023 to 12 this year and is open to high schoolers who live in or attend school in Atherton. Youth members recounted organizing an eco-friendly Easter egg hunt, participating at Earth Day and managing a poetry contest with more than 100 entries.

The students said they are planning to attend a Transportation/Bike-Ped Committee meeting in November to provide youth input on traffic issues. Two students introduced themselves and talked about recent activities: Vihan (Nueva School) and Adi (Crystal Springs) described their roles helping run community events and contests.

Council members praised the effort and encouraged the group to continue, offering to attend youth meetings and committees. The council also suggested the students consider presenting selected poets at a future council meeting and noted the council’s interest in connecting the advisory group with town committees, including Transportation/Bike-Ped and Environmental Programs.

Group leader Fiona requested that a council member attend some of the group’s meetings. Council members responded that they were open to attending and that staff would circulate the group’s meeting schedule when available. The students asked for guidance and said they wanted to provide input on matters affecting teens in town, including transportation and environmental programs.