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The Tulsa Mayor’s Youth Council encourages high school students to become active in the community by participating in local government. Members of the Council will see firsthand the many faces of City government in action and learn how each contributes to the City’s goals of public safety and quality of life. The members will also learn about the political process and how youth can have a voice in local government issues. In short, they’ll have a backstage pass to the City of Tulsa.

Purpose:

The purpose of the Tulsa Mayor’s Youth Council is to provide Tulsa high school students the opportunity to:

  1. Learn about how local government works and how services are provided.
  2. Explore various city facilities and meet with key City staff and City officials.
  3. Share their ideas about local government and local issues with City officials

Commitment:

All Tulsa Mayor’s Youth Council members will be required to participate in the following:

  1. Must be willing to attend and participate in scheduled meetings.
  2. Must be willing to attend other meetings or events as opportunities arise.
  3. Must be an active participant in at least one subcommittee.
  4. Must have own transportation to and from meetings.

Requirements:

  1. Must attend high school in the City of Tulsa maintaining a 2.5 GPA or better.
  2. Must be a senior or junior during the program year which follows the school calendar year.
  3. Must write a letter of interest.
  4. Must submit a letter of recommendation from their school principal.

Program:

The Tulsa Mayor’s Youth Council will meet twice a month after school, excluding the month of December, for a Learning Day and Discussion Day. The meetings will take place from 4 – 5 p.m. at City Hall.

Learning Day:

The first meeting of the month is known as Learning Day, which will involve a trip to some of the City of Tulsa facilities and services that keep our city running. Some tours may include Tulsa’s waste-to-energy plant, water and wastewater treatment plants, the police and fire departments, or various other facilities. Through this process, the Youth Councilors will learn about what services the City provides, how much each component contributes to our overall quality of life, and how the City is governed.

Discussion Day:

For the second meeting of the month, the Tulsa Mayor’s Youth Council will meet at City Hall and discuss various topics, as well as learn about the role of the City Councils Boards and Commissions.

The Tulsa Mayor’s Youth Council will have opportunities to:

  1. Develop leadership skills and learn how local government operates.
  2. Make decisions and take action to potentially improve their community.
  3. Serve as a liaison to City Commissions including The Greater Tulsa Area Hispanic Affairs Commission, The Human Rights Commission, and The Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women.
  4. Promote City activities and programs, and inform their schools of existing opportunities and listen to suggestions on what the City can do to meet the needs of Tulsa’s youth.
  5. Discuss issues that the members of the Tulsa City Council are voting on or have addressed.
  6. Make recommendations based on the study and research of certain City issues.
  7. Learn how to draft a resolution, amend it, and decide whether or not to pass it.
  8. Pass resolutions as recommendations to the City Council and then to the Mayor

Application and Selection

For consideration, please complete the Application Packet no later than September 20, 2019. All Tulsa high school administrators may submit two students for consideration as members of the Tulsa Mayor’s Youth Council. Any individual application submitted must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from the school principal in order to be considered. Home school students are also encouraged to apply. Applicants attending Jenks and Union Schools will be considered as long as they live within the City of Tulsa.

Exceptional applicants will be selected based upon their application strength. The selected candidates will then be notified of their selection and the date and time of the first meeting, which will be determined at a later date.

The Application Packet should include:

  1. Application Form
  2. A letter of interest from the applicant
  3. A letter of recommendation from their school principal
  4. Photo release form signed by a parent or guardian
  5. Transportation of a minor form signed by a parent or guardian

All application materials and questions should be sent to Jose Vega:
Josevegatulsa@gmail.com
(918) 813-8993

The Black Wall Street Times is a news publication located in Tulsa, Okla. and Atlanta, Ga. At The BWSTimes, we focus on elevating the stories of our beloved Greenwood community, elevating the stories of...