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City staff outlines Student Municipal Representative program and welcomes two student reps in September
Summary
City community development staff Sarah Herring briefed the Board of Zoning Appeals on the Student Municipal Representative (SMR) program: high-school residents can apply each January, are interviewed by the mayor and staff, and this year siblings Amelia and Audrey Bishop will serve on the board beginning in September.
Sarah Herring, a member of the city's community development staff, briefed the Board of Zoning Appeals on Green's Student Municipal Representative program and asked for feedback on program materials.
Herring said the SMR application opens each January for city residents entering grades 10'012 and includes a ranking of 10 city boards, commissions and task forces; finalists are interviewed by the mayor, Herring and the council clerk. ‘‘Every January on the city's website, the application for this SMR program goes live,’’ Herring said.
The program, Herring said, shows students how municipal work is done beyond council chambers and gives them hands-on exposure. She said the program's aims are twofold: to complement high-school government assignments with real civic experience, and to teach students that contributing to community governance does not require elected office.
Herring said the program has grown and yields unexpected benefits: students inform staff work and bring enthusiasm. She also noted the city council selects some student reps via essay; for boards and commissions, the city asks students to rank preferred placements. Herring said two siblings, Amelia and Audrey Bishop, will serve on this board at the September meeting.
The Chair thanked Herring and praised the program's orientation and end-of-year interviews; board members said they appreciated the outreach and look forward to hosting the student representatives.
