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(Miami-Dade County, FL) -- On January 21, 2010, the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners passed an ordinance sponsored by Commissioner Barbara J. Jordan creating a Youth Commission to gather input from local youth and teens on County issues affecting them. The Youth Commission would serve in an advisory capacity to the Board, learn about government, participate in the process of Miami-Dade County government, and represent and articulate the needs of youth in the county.
The Youth Commission will consist of 27 students between the ages of 15 and 18 in the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade. Each County Commissioner will appoint two members of the Youth Commission, one of whom must be enrolled in a Miami-Dade County public school. Students appointed by a Commissioner may be a student attending a parochial or private school in the Commissioner's district. To be qualified for appointment, such student should have a minimum 2.0 grade point average and demonstrate a sincere interest and motivation to work for the community. Each term is one year; students can be appointed for a subsequent year term and can serve no more than two years.
"The Youth Commission will be like a microcosm of the Miami-Dade County Commission, with the members mainly focusing on County programs that would affect children and teenagers," said Commissioner Jordan. "This is a great way to involve our youth in government so they become more involved in their community. The decisions and advice they deliver to us will help my colleagues and I gain a different perspective on youth-targeted issues and programs."
The members of the Youth Commission will be expected to study problems and hold forums on issues, activities and concerns of youth in Miami-Dade, comment upon existing or proposed legislation, present methods to resolve youth-related conflicts between youth and between youth and adults, submit annual reports of activities to the County Commission and Mayor, and foster an interest in County government among their peers, along with other duties and responsibilities. There is also an emphasis on them serving as the Violence Intervention Program representative for their respective school, as permitted by the Miami-Dade County Public School System, and facilitating an annual Youth Summit in conjunction with the Juvenile Services Department and the South Florida Youth Advisory Board.
For more information, please contact Commissioner Jordan's office at 305-375-5694.
The entire ordinance can be found here for more details.
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