Youth Council prioritizes lagoon cleanups, social media outreach and community events

At their first meeting on Oct. 28, 2019, Satellite Beach Youth Council members sketched a workplan that emphasized environmental stewardship, outreach and volunteer events.

Alex LaFortune suggested environmental projects first: “I think that if we were to organize some kind of lagoon clean ups, like putting oyster mats in or planting mangroves at some park,” noting outreach to neighboring high schools to expand participation. Members discussed logistics and funding—several said they could access seeds or volunteer networks through the Brevard Zoo teen program and adult sustainability boards.

Members also weighed communications strategies. The group favored Instagram for youth engagement while acknowledging Facebook’s value for reaching parents; several members volunteered to run social accounts and to create promotional posters, trivia stories and short videos. They also agreed tentatively on a council T‑shirt as a practical uniform for events and discussed staffing an Ocean Reef Festival booth in early December.

Staff and the city manager offered support for small start‑up budgets and said they would provide contacts and guidance. Members were reminded that Sunshine Law limits their ability to coordinate privately; staff recommended drafting posts or shirt designs independently and bringing them to a public meeting for approval.

Next steps recorded in the meeting: members will draft vision/mission ideas and shirt designs to present at the next monthly meeting; staff will circulate contacts for related city boards.