Are you a young person looking for leadership experiences in your city and a way to give Battle Creek youth a voice?
If so, the city’s Youth Advisory Board may be the group for you. The YAB is looking for new members — city residents age 14 to 20 — to fill board vacancies.
The group is empowered to set its own agenda, addressing and acting on issues of its own choosing related to the youth voice and making Battle Creek a better place for young people — including, for example, interest in a welcoming, diverse and thriving city; weighing in on the master plan by identifying how the youth see the city in 10 to 20 years and how to reach that vision; and the availability of youth programming across the city.
The YAB meets at 2 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month. In addition to the meetings, YAB members participate in community meetings and events, volunteer with various organizations and causes and more.
City Commissioners Lynn Ward Gray and Andy Helmboldt serve as liaisons to the board in an advisory role.
YAB members are encouraged to attend City Commission and other community meetings to let their voices be heard on the various issues up for discussion. For example, the YAB has voted in favor of the changes to the commission meeting rules public comment periods and felt strongly that food trucks should be allowed downtown.
Applications are due Friday, April 15 by 5 p.m. to the City Manager’s Office, Room 206 at City Hall, 10 N. Division St. The application form is available on the city website, www.battlecreekmi.gov, by navigating to I Want To… Apply … Board or Commission.