1.
Contact:
Amy Farrell
704‐343‐6999
amy@generationnation.org
Charlotte‐Mecklenburg teens invited to join new youth advisory council
This year, leaders in Charlotte‐Mecklenburg have a new resource: high school students.
Teens are invited to join a new youth advisory council where they will work with and advise local officials
and policymakers on issues and decisions impacting K‐12 students, learn about local government, build
civic leadership, and use student voice to report on and highlight issues and government actions
impacting youth.
The youth council is a program of Charlotte nonprofit GenerationNation, in partnership with the City of
Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and Charlotte‐Mecklenburg Schools.
Interested teens should contact Amy Farrell at info@generationnation.org or 704‐343‐6999. Information
about the council, including an October 15 youth council meeting with candidates for Charlotte mayor
Patrick Cannon and Edwin Peacock, can be found at www.generationnation.org/index.php/youthvoice.
Charlotte City Council member David Howard played a key role in establishing the youth council. “After
several years of planning, I am excited that Charlotte‐Mecklenburg now has a youth advisory council. The
partnership with GenerationNation ensures that youth ‐ our city's future leaders ‐ will learn how their
government and community works and have opportunities to share their important perspectives with
public officials. Having youth available to advise us on policies and issues impacting young people makes
our decisions better and our community stronger.”
"The youth advisory council is a significant opportunity for the city, county and CMS to collaborate in
reaching out to the youth of our community to involve them in public service and the governance of their
community, " said Bobbie Shields, Interim Mecklenburg County Manager.
“We are very excited about this partnership and the opportunity it represents for our students to have a
voice in the community,” said Dr. Heath E. Morrison, Charlotte‐Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent.
“This is a great way to get our students engaged in local government, policy making and how decisions are
made. We have so many talented and creative young people and this partnership will be good for our
whole community.”
GenerationNation is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that builds K‐12 civic literacy and youth civic
leadership through smart, fun programs that connect classroom education with hands‐on experiences.
Programs include K‐12 civic education, Kids Voting, Youth Civics and Youth Leadership Alliance/Youth
Voice Press Corps. Learn more about GenerationNation at www.generationnation.org.
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