Mayor's New Cabinet Gives Youth a Voice in City Government

Mayor Drew and the city's Youth Services Bureau have collaborated to create a brand new program for young people interested in government — the Mayoral Youth Cabinet.

The yearly Youth in Government initiative allows those ages 13 to 18 to be appointed to boards, committees and commissions for one-year terms beginning in November. All youth members are encouraged to participate in these commissions and committees by discussing their perspectives on issues that are affecting our town.

The Mayoral Youth Cabinet is a program created in an attempt to further strengthen the relationship and communication between city’s youth and the mayor’s office. The cabinet will consist of two youth from grades 9-12 at Middletown High School, as well as two youth from Mercy, Vinal and Xavier High School and two from Woodrow Wilson Middle School who will serve a term of one year starting in November.

Empowering youth in government provides opportunities that will promote a life-long commitment to civic engagement, according to a release by Drew. It also addresses a key Developmental Asset that is lacking in our community. In a recent survey of Middletown youth, it was brought to the community’s attention that only 17 percent of Middletown youth feel valued by the community. 

"These programs are a venue in which the city can help increase awareness of this issue as well as help to increase youth participation within the community," Drew said.

Youth Services Bureau Coordinator Justin Carbonella says another new initiative, Make Time, brings together youth and adults to converse about youth and community issues in Middletown. The program is designed to facilitate relationships between adults and kids in the community and is built out of MYSB's 40 Developmental Assets initiative intended to build better communities for youth to grow up in.

Applications for the 2013/14 Youth in Government initiative and Mayoral Youth Cabinet can be found on the Middletown Public Schools website under Youth Services.

The Boards and Commissions which are involved with this program are:

• Board of Health
• Cable Advisory Committee
• Citizens Advisory Committee
• Design Review and Preservation
• Long Hill Estate Authority
• Middletown Commission on the Arts
• Middletown School Readiness Council
• Parks and Recreation Commission
• Redevelopment Agency
• Youth Services Advisory Board
• Human Rights Commission
• Committee Concerning People with Disabilities

For more information, call (860) 854-6030.