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Roanoke youth delegates report back from National League of Cities; city holds evening youth summit
Summary
Former councilwoman Anita James Price introduced two youth delegates who described attending the National League of Cities conference and a local youth summit held May 3 at William Fleming High School; the summit drew higher-than-expected attendance and focused on civic engagement and youth issues.
Former Vice Mayor and Councilwoman Anita James Price introduced Roanoke youth delegates who attended the National League of Cities (NLC) conference and presented highlights of a local youth summit the delegates organized.
Price said the Youth Services Citizens Board, reinstated in 2013, has held an annual youth summit for 11 years and that this year’s summit was designed as an evening "lock-in" event. Delegates Zaria Bell, a William Fleming High School representative, and Lily Cuevas, a Patrick Henry High School representative, described attending the NLC conference and bringing ideas back to Roanoke.
Zaria told council the NLC sessions covered topics such as redlining, corporate influence, discrimination, climate change, living wages, homelessness, youth voice and peace. She said the delegates were inspired by policy discussions and returned with a plan called "Brick by Brick" focused on housing equity and community reinvestment.
Lily described the local youth summit, held May 3 at William Fleming High School from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., as a "PJ jam" that registered 40 youth but drew about 75 attendees. The summit included workshops titled Democracy Is Not a Spectator, Finding Connection, Dance for Peace, Cooler Heads and Stronger Bonds, and The Power of You. Organizers distributed a post-event survey and reported that 9 out of 10 respondents said they would recommend the summit to a friend; attendees identified gun violence and bullying among priorities for change.
Price and others thanked volunteers and city staff who helped deliver the event; the Roanoke Police Department provided dinner and local vendors ran activity stations. Councilmembers praised the delegates’ participation and asked staff to explore deeper, year-round engagement between youth and council members; no funding decision was made at the meeting, though delegates noted that "funding would be greatly appreciated."
Council and staff encouraged ongoing youth engagement and suggested opportunities for council members to meet informally with youth representatives to sustain the connection between municipal policymaking and student priorities.
