Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Youth Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Caddo Parish youth alliance presents 'Project Youth Night Out'; commission authorizes up to $35,000 per quarter
Summary
The Caddo Parish Youth Leadership Alliance presented a proposal for quarterly teen events with a registration app, security and low‑cost food; the commission voted to authorize up to $35,000 per quarter from existing funds to support the initiative.
Students from the inaugural Caddo Parish Youth Leadership Alliance (CPYLA) presented "Project Youth Night Out," a plan for quarterly events aimed at giving local high‑school students safe spaces to gather, play games, and engage with civic leaders.
Michael Hicks, CPYLA president, and vice president Taylor Harris described a program that would use parish parks and recreation centers, require security staffing, offer simple catering, and use an app‑based registration system tied to student IDs and parental contact information. The student presenters supplied a preliminary budget range for a 100–500 person event and emphasized safety, registration and parent alerts.
Commissioners praised the students’ planning and the program’s safety features. Commissioner Stormy Gage Watts moved to authorize up to $35,000 per quarter to support the initiative from existing budget lines; the commission seconded and carried the motion. The clerk clarified the authorization is from funds already allocated in the relevant category, not a new appropriation requiring a separate budget amendment.
Commissioners said they expect program staff to coordinate with parks and recreation, law enforcement for off‑duty officer coverage as needed, and parish IT/administration to set up the registration mechanisms before the first event.
