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District Youth Council outlines 2025–26 plans; student pledge against gun violence proposed
Summary
Student co‑chairs of the District Youth Council described a slate of student engagement events for 2025–26, new adult adviser Emily Culver, subcommittees for board and student relations, and preliminary plans to reintroduce a student pledge against gun violence.
Atticus Mayer, a senior at Northfield High School, and co‑chair Delphine Hawkins presented the District Youth Council's 2025–26 update and plans to the board.
What DYC does: Mayer said the council serves as a bridge between students and the school board, assigns every DYC member to at least one district committee and requires attending at least one school board meeting per semester. The council runs forums and events: last year they hosted a Reimagine referendum forum for students, a school‑board candidate forum, a school‑board brunch, a budget reduction forum and an annual period‑product distribution.
Plans and leadership: Mayer said the 2025–26 council will have 17 members, two subcommittees (student relations led by Audrey Gilbertson and board relations led by Genevieve Knudson) and a new adult adviser, Emily Culver, who replaces Martha Lundin. A priority project is expanding DYC's reach via social media, adding content to the district website, using tabling during Raider (flex) time and integrating more community members in student projects.
Student pledge against gun violence: Mayer said DYC is exploring reintroducing a student pledge against gun violence first used in 1996. He said the pledge is a commitment to gun responsibility and safety and not a comment on Second Amendment rights. The original pledge's originator, Mary Lewis Grow, has joined discussions about bringing it back in Northfield.
Board response: Trustees thanked DYC for student engagement and asked about methods for collecting student input (Google Forms, forums, tabling during Raider time) and about plans to expand outreach. The board praised Mayer's leadership and the breadth of DYC activities.
Ending: DYC asked for continued access to district communications channels and said it will update the board as projects progress.
