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Mayor's Youth Council outlines MLK Day service, FAFSA workshops and youth college-readiness guide
Summary
At its Jan. 14 meeting, the Mayor's Youth Council confirmed participation in an MLK Day volunteer project with the University of Houston at Moody Park and reviewed upcoming events and collaborations including Gulf Coast Workforce Board participation, Houston Public Library FAFSA workshops, and a youth college-readiness guide with the City of Houston Department of Education.
Arin Shah called the Mayor's Youth Council meeting to order on Tuesday evening, Jan. 14, 2025, where members approved the minutes and heard advisor and committee updates about service-learning projects and partnerships.
Advisor Miss Jackson announced that the council will take part in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 18, partnering with the University of Houston, the volunteer initiatives program (Roman Aguilar, Office of Neighborhood Engagement) and the city's Parks and Recreation department to clean and revitalize Moody Park on Fulton Street. "We are participating as our service learning project for January, in the MLK day of service, volunteering with the University of Houston," Miss Jackson said, and asked members to RSVP so organizers can confirm lunch and T-shirt counts.
Miss Jackson also reminded members invited to a Gulf Coast Workforce Board student session on Jan. 29 that attendees must complete media-release forms; the student portion runs about 8 a.m. to noon and lunch is provided. She added that members who have not yet received city security badges should complete their forms to be included in the next round of badge issuance, and that a Robert's Rules of Order training will be circulated to the council.
Mary, representing the Education Equity Committee, said the committee finalized two projects: student presentations at Houston Public Library FAFSA workshops and a youth-written college-readiness guide produced with the City of Houston Department of Education. "The first aspect we're gonna be working on is the Houston Public Library FAFSA workshops," Mary said; the workshops are scheduled on Feb. 8, Feb. 15 and Feb. 22, with presentation opportunities after regular programming. She said the Feb. 15 session will feature the council aiding a youth ambassadors speed-networking activity, and that write-ups for the youth guide will be due around the end of January for vetting by the Department of Education.
Committee reports also covered an environmental-justice cleanup being organized for Woodland Park in The Heights (targeted for Feb. 16) and a voter-engagement plan that will collaborate with Ailey Votes at a summer conference on June 14. Misha, from the Mental Health Committee, said the group is planning smaller near-term activities—card-making projects for assisted-living facilities and first responders—and is exploring a youth-led mental-health podcast and a social-media campaign.
Council members shared priorities for the year, emphasizing intercommittee collaboration, outreach to smaller schools, and city partnerships. The meeting closed with recognition of Justin Leahy's college admission and adjourned at about 7:10 p.m.
What's next: organizers asked members to RSVP for Jan. 18 service opportunities, sign and return media releases for Jan. 29 participation, and volunteer to present at the February FAFSA workshops or draft youth-guide write-ups by the end of January.
