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Marion mayor's youth council asks council for teen-focused outreach and shared activities across schools
Summary
Students presented start/stop/continue recommendations calling for more teen-targeted communications (Instagram/TikTok), joint events between Marion and LinMar schools, teen volunteer programs and more activities and food options at city festivals.
Three students from the Mayor’s Youth Council presented recommendations to the Marion City Council on April 15 asking the city to expand teen-targeted communications and programming, encourage joint activities between Marion and LinMar schools and create volunteer and social opportunities for ages roughly 13–17.
Mehul, Rachel and Blessing — student leaders from LinMar High School who spoke with the council — said the youth council met monthly and gathered ideas from a larger student group. They said Marion does many things well (parks and trails, youth sports, intergenerational programs) but that middle- and high-school-aged residents lack activities tailored to 13–17-year-olds and that city outreach relies heavily on Facebook and print materials that many teens do not use.
Students asked the council to: expand social-media outreach (short-form videos on Instagram and TikTok managed or produced by youth), host joint events that bring Marion and LinMar students together (for example, a joint school dance), test teen-designated days for recreational amenities (pickleball/tennis) and add food trucks at festivals so teens stay longer. They also proposed mentoring and volunteer programs linking older teens with younger students and suggested using youth representation in short social-media segments.
Councilmembers responded positively, encouraging students to focus on a short list of priority items (top three) the city can act on quickly and suggested students present a specific project to school administrators to advance joint-school activities. Staff noted the city has recently launched an Instagram account and that Parks & Recreation staff will review programming options. No formal action or vote was taken; the presentation concluded with a group photo and thanks from the mayor.
The students’ presentation is part of an ongoing youth engagement effort that the council said has run about nine years; city staff described it as a tool to increase civic awareness and encourage future community involvement.
