What is the Philadelphia Youth Commission?
The Philadelphia Youth Commission will be a panel of young Philadelphians who would review legislation and policies that affect youth and advise the Mayor and City Council on those issues. The Commission would consist of 21 young people between the ages of 13 and 23. Each City Council member would appoint one Youth Commissioner. The Mayor would appoint four. On June 15, 2006, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown introduced legislation that would create a Youth Commission for the City of Philadelphia. It was then passed unanimously by City Council.
How Can I Get Involved Now?
PCCY has put in place an advisory committee (working group) to make sure the Youth Commission is implemented properly by City Council. Our goal is to make sure the Youth Commission will be able to make a big impact upon its initiation on January 1, 2008.
Our purpose includes making sure that City Council selects a diverse group of young people for the commission by a standard/fair application process. Outreach will include targeting representation from a variety of communities through schools, after-school programs, advocacy groups, community centers and other youth serving organizations.
The working group has already begun drafting proposed bylaws for the Youth Commission so that it can have guidelines and boundaries for productive work. Young people on the advisory committee are together building relationships with City Council members.
Mission Statement:
The Youth Commission will seek to represent the young people of the city in public hearings and testimony that reflect consensus as far as possible on issues that affect youth. The Commission will seek to learn from and listen to their peers around the city concerning public policy and to reflect those learnings to City Council and the Mayor. The Commission will be made up of young leaders who reflect the diversity of the population of Philadelphia.
