Youth Commission

2019-20 Clark County Youth Commission in front of the Clark County Youth Commission
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Youth Commission seeking diverse youth for unique opportunity.

Between now and June 1, we are actively recruiting for Youth Commission members. We continuously strive to be more representative of the diversity of youth living in our county.

Currently, we are accepting applications to fill 13 vacancies throughout Clark County:

  • All open positions are available for youth who live in Clark County.
  • New Leader positions are available for youth with no previous leadership experience.
  • We have some positions open to students living within the geographical boundaries of specific school districts.

Please feel free to use the enclosed materials and information to spread the word about the Youth Commission to youth in your school or community.

We appreciate your interest and want to let you know we are here to help. Please contact our program coordinator, Elizabeth Houston-Hill, at 564.397.5133 or Elizabeth.Hill@clark.wa.gov if you have any questions or need additional materials. 

Applicants must:

  • Be 11-19 years old.
  • Live in Clark County, Washington.
  • Be able to attend the overnight orientation retreat, August 15-17. (This retreat is MANDATORY and provided at no cost to you.)
  • Be available to attend Youth Commission meetings on the first and third Thursday of each month during the next school year (September through June). 

Apply now! 

 


    Who We Are

    The Clark County Youth Commission is a youth-driven advisory board and leadership development program established by the Clark County Board of Commissioners in April 1998. Members, ages 11-19, aim to represent all the diverse youth living in Clark County.

    What We Do

    Members provide a youth-oriented point-of-view to the work of the Clark County Council, county departments, and community organizations. The Youth Commission informs these groups about issues important to youth, makes suggestions on how to address these issues, and provides advice on how to build positive partnerships with youth.

    Our Work

    Each year, the Youth Commission studies a topic and shares its recommendations with the Clark County Council and the community.

    In the 2019-20 term, the Youth Commission studied youth violence prevention in relation to mental health. This report provides an overview of risk and protective factors, and describes five key recommendations to prevent and reduce youth violence.

    In the 2018-19 term, the Youth Commission studied mental health, transitioning into adulthood, and youth homelessness. This report describes prevention strategies and root causes for these three issues and provides recommendations for improving youth mental health, making youth more ready for adulthood, and reducing youth homelessness.

    In the 2017-18 term, the Youth Commission studied community identity, placemaking, the impact of art in identity formation, reuse plans for Camp Bonneville (see overview report), visioning for the Lewis and Clark Greenway Trail, as well as the impact of blue and green spaces on physical, psychological, and emotional well-being. A summary of the findings may be found here.

    Other topics the Youth Commission studied include:

    • Citizen voice and engagement
    • Stress and self-care
    • Happiness and well-being
    • Youth violence prevention
    • Community livability
    • Social networking
    • Diversity
    • Parks and open spaces
    • Environmental sustainability
    • Bicycle helmets
    • Youth mental health
    • Fireworks
    • Economic development
    • Comprehensive growth management
    • Youth House business plan
    • Clark County youth policy
    • Youth suicide prevention
    • Teen courts

    Contact Us

    For more information, contact Elizabeth Houston-Hill at elizabeth.hill@clark.wa.gov or 564.397.5133.

    Visit our social media pages to further engage with Clark County youth!

     

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