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Garland Youth Council reports growth, field day and volunteer drives
Summary
Student leaders told the council the Garland Youth Council grew to 34 members, ran a first field day with more than 90 participants and organized clothing drives that donated dozens of bags to Trusted World; members asked for more council engagement at schools and events.
At the May 18 Garland City Council work session, student leaders from the Garland Youth Council recapped a year of expanded membership and community service. Tasi Tajji, the council’s GYC president, said the group ran 11 meetings and four socials, and “We actually planned and organized our 1st ever GYC field day. We had over 90 participants registered.”
Students described volunteer programs including a cold‑weather clothing drive (more than 15 bags donated to Trusted World) and school outreach to recruit future members. Council members and staff praised the students’ outreach and suggested ways to increase impact — inviting council members to school visits, adding events to city calendars and offering letters of recommendation for seniors. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem (speaker 18) encouraged reapplying and noted the program’s “most active” year in recent memory.
Councilors asked about continuity as 13 seniors will cycle out next year, and students outlined recruitment plans: school tabling, social media, a May 31 application deadline posted on garlandyouthcouncil.org, and an outreach challenge tied to modest monetary incentives. Several councilors recommended calendar invites to ensure council participation at big events and encouraged more frequent communication between GYC and council offices.
The students also proposed an annual culture night to highlight Garland’s diversity; Councilmember (speaker 12) suggested pairing it with the Community Multicultural Commission and placing events on council calendars. The council and staff pledged support and said they would follow up on specific requests, including tours and school visits.
