Deadline to apply for Youth Council is Monday

Ever wonder what it would be like to work at City Hall? High school sophomores and juniors interested in learning about the inner workings of City Hall and its politics may apply to serve on the Costa Mesa Youth Council.

The deadline for submitting an application for the seven-month program is 5 p.m. Monday.

Ten to 13 students will be appointed in late November and will begin to serve in the youth council in December. The new program is open to Costa Mesa students attending public and private schools.

The city has teamed up with Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools for the program, but the program is open to all high school students in the city, said Carol C. Proctor, the city’s management analyst.

Jennifer Broderick will be a teacher-liaison and advisor for the student council.

“I think this is an excellent opportunity to build a sense of civic duty and provide students with an opportunity to be involved with the issues that face our community,” said Broderick, a teacher at Estancia. “This is also a great chance to develop leadership and communication skills. By participating in government today, these students are securing the blessings of democracy in the future.”

The students will meet monthly and will participate in three projects: city government day, summit day, and a report to the council.

To apply for the program, students must have a minimum grade-point average of 2.5 and must not be employed by the city.

The program is targeting sophomore and junior students only.

Students in their senior year may be too busy and not be able to dedicate the time needed for the program, Proctor said.

“We wanted to capture the students at a younger age to instill in them the idea of serving your community and the jobs available in the public sector,” Proctor said.

In the past, the city had a youth committee, but its focus was on recreation, Proctor said.

Councilwoman Katrina Foley came up with the idea for the youth council.

Foley said she got the idea from a UC Irvine intern who worked for her last fall. Foley and the student, Lindsay Hopkins, brainstormed and came up with the concept for the program.

“I hope they [students] get the opportunity to see how different departments of local government work, and how local government makes decisions that affect their community,” Foley said. “I hope that they’ll be able to see how their input makes a difference.”

The councilwoman also hopes that students who are interested in city government jobs can make contact with a mentor from the city staff.

“It’s harder and harder to get young people to pursue careers in public service,” she said. “They really need to see that there are job opportunities in the public sector, especially as our census tell us that our residents are going to be either very young or very old.”

The two-page application is available on the city’s website, www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us. The application can also be picked up from the city manager’s office by calling (714) 754-5327.

The application may be mailed to Costa Mesa City Manager’s Office, P.O. Box 1200, Costa Mesa, 92628-1200. It can also be dropped off at the city manager’s office on the fifth floor at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive.