Youth Council narrows strategic plan focus, agrees to add 'community impact' ring

Chair Skorzak and members discussed edits to the Cape Coral Youth Council strategic plan and research received from Member Amber Paragonda.

Nut Graf: Council members agreed to keep a demographics-focused first ring (split into ages 10–14 and 15–19), to rework the second ring to cover community impact (including environmental and mental-health efforts), and to consider a third ring or separate sections for projects that drive youth engagement.

Paragonda summarized her research mapping local youth needs — noting mental-health challenges, limited entertainment options, and substance-use concerns — and proposed embedding specific, current council projects into the plan so the document ties research to action. "I separated the age groups," she said, adding that projects such as the school reach-out program, mental-health survey and a movie project should appear in the strategic plan as concrete responses to identified problems.

Members debated format. Some supported graphics (bar charts, graphs) to present demographic data; others preferred paragraph form for context. Advisor Hayden recommended keeping the first ring's age-group framing for continuity and suggested a community-impact framing to encompass environmental and youth-engagement projects.

The council agreed to continue editing and to present a consolidated version for a vote at the next meeting. Member Paragonda said she will add footnotes and update total population figures before the next packet.

Ending: Members and advisors asked peers to send edits before the next meeting so the final motion to adopt a unified strategic plan can be taken in October.