United Way of Greater Knoxville

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news & events

07.12.06
UNITED WAY OF GREATER KNOXVILLE ENGAGES LOCAL YOUTH

Bottom Row, Left to Right: Darlene Blair (Fulton), Aaquil Rowans (Austin-East), Brittney Ramsey (Fulton), Mica Clark (Webb)

Second Row, Left to Right: Cherise Bright (Fulton), Katie Erpenbach (Catholic), Cassidy Duckett (Webb), Afton Behn (Webb), Vanessa Garber (West), Becky Johns (Bearden)

Third Row: Jerica Johnson (Austin-East), Kevin Letsinger (Austin-East), Sean Armbruster (Halls), Michael Hayes (Fulton), Marlena Wagoner (Fulton), Andrew Bosse (Catholic)

Back Row: Clay Oglesby (Carter), Shawn Hatmaker (Austin-East), Sahar Haque (Farragut), Rachel Shanklin (Austin-East)

Not pictured: LaQuisha Carter (Fulton), Mira Patel (Farragut), Tashawn Ransome (Webb), Carol Ann Routh (Central), Courtney Tolliver (Fulton), Beth Valentine (Carter)

The City of Knoxville and Knox County Mayors' offices have teamed up with United Way once again to encourage youth voice and involvement in local government and community problem solving.

For a third year, the Knoxville/Knox County Youth Action Council (YAC) will provide a representative body of teens charged with ensuring that the opinions and concerns of youth are asserted. Each spring, students are selected from among all schools in Knox County, both public and private, for this special honor. The 2006-2007 class is made up of 26 individuals representing 11 different high schools.

"It's important that the voice of our youth be heard and that we engage them in the community at this critical time in their life," Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam said. "If they grow up valuing the importance of involvement in local decision-making, our entire community will benefit into the future with strong, experienced leadership."

The Youth Action Council is designed to ensure that youth have input into the policies that affect them while also increasing awareness among government representatives about issues facing children and youth. Another goal of the project is for the members to experience collaboration and team building, as well as leadership and public service.

"The decisions our local government makes affects our children, so including them in the process is important," said Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale. "Our youth are a reflection of the changing world around us. We should value their input because they offer viewpoints we might not otherwise have considered."

Applicants are selected based on their awareness of key issues facing youth, creativity, and motivation to make a change in their community. Through United Way's affiliation with the Points of Light Foundation, YAC members will participate in Knoxville's first ever Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute (PYLI) this summer. By teaching everything from community needs analysis to project planning and leadership dynamics, the PYLI curriculum will thoroughly prepare new YAC members for a productive term.

The YAC is unique among youth organizations in that priorities for the council are determined by the young people involved and all projects are completely coordinated by youth, for youth. In past years, the YAC has conducted surveys of high school students, forums with local community officials and the Knoxville Youth Summit.

The Youth Action Council (YAC)-A Voice for Youth is a collaborative partnership between United Way of Greater Knoxville, the Knox County Mayor's Office, and the City of Knoxville Mayor's Office. The Youth Action Council provides a representative body of teens in Knox County to create strong relationships between youth and their communities. This council works to promote young people as a resource for community problem solving by facilitating opportunities for youth to engage in community service and local government.

United Way of Greater Knoxville is a local, independent organization dedicated to improving lives by building a better community. In partnership with 50 agencies, local business, community leaders and ordinary citizens, United Way tackles issues that matter most. By working together, we provide a safety net of services addressing Knoxville's most basic needs while working toward lasting change.

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