The Powerful Voice of Lafayette Youth: The Lafayette Youth Commission

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Acalanes Blueprint

By Hailee Shah, Leighton Tanaka, and Genevieve Tarsa, Staff Writers

// When it comes to making a difference in the community, while adults make up a large demographic, the power of the youth is equally significant.

   The Lafayette Youth Commission (LYC) is an advisory commission to the Lafayette City Council, providing insight into issues affecting the community from the perspective of the youth.

   “City councils and all of those different city boards and commissions are occupied by a lot of older demographics, so the city was like ‘Hey, we need to bring the youth’s voice to the city, as they are the future of both the city and the world, so they should be represented in the running of our city,’” LYC Co-Chair and sophomore Addyson Stevens said.

   The city council appoints the 15 members that make up the commission ranging from grades six through 12 all attending schools within Lafayette city limits. Commissioners appoint additional members called associates, who can participate in meetings and events but are unable to vote.

   “A commissioner is one of 15 people who help make decisions on what the LYC is going to do. So, I have the power to officially vote and make decisions in the LYC,” LYC commissioner and sophomore Amelia Tantameng said.

   The council also designates two of its five members as the official liaisons to the youth commission as it does with all of the city’s commissions. This year, those liaisons are Vice Mayor Wei-Tai Kwok and Council Member John McCormick.

   “The members of the commission can escalate issues or if they need help or if they need a budget or if they just need any assistance whatsoever, they can know who to go to, who to turn to on the City Council. And so I’m there to support their activities,” Kwok said.

   Many current members started by volunteering with the commission and at different events. Some of these events include the Haunted House and Earth Day Celebrations. 

   “One day when I was in eighth grade, [my friends] asked me if I wanted to help volunteer for an event and I had fun. Then, I became an associate for a while before I became an official commissioner earlier last year,” Tantameng said.

   Many members explain that their involvement in the youth commission started in their middle school years.

   “I joined in seventh grade during COVID … because of COVID, they had … six openings in the youth commission,” LYC Co-Chair and sophomore Miela Hsu said. “It’s cool because when my mom applied for a Trans-Circ position or a city council position I was filling out the same forms as she was.”

   The LYC plans and hosts various community events throughout the year. On Feb. 9, 2024, they held the Family Sweetheart Dance in the Jennifer Russell building. The event featured food, a live DJ, a photo booth, and other activities for the families to enjoy. 

   “We sponsored the event, so our liaison worked pretty directly with the rest of the Lafayette volunteers and people that were [participating in the event]. Unfortunately, due to school conflicts, we couldn’t get super involved, but our liaison, Miela, [and I] were in communication with all of the event runners beforehand. Then, the day of, we showed up and helped around and made sure everything ran as smoothly as possible,” Stevens said.

   The commission attempts to strengthen community ties amongst participating families through events such as the Family Sweetheart Dance.

   “[The LYC] helps bring the community together, especially with [the] family dances. It’s just a way for people in the community to meet each other and for people to find new interests and hobbies,” Tantameng said.

   Many Lafayette families attest to the helpfulness and generosity of the LYC.

   “We have been attending events put on by the LYC for years now and have loved the sense of community they provide, especially when we were a new family with young children in Lafayette,” Lafayette parent Brooke Peterson said.

   The LYC hosts events that appeal to all ages. They aim for their activities to be inclusive and educational for the whole family. 

   “[When] we partnered with A Brighter Day during a movie night, every person who came got these little backpacks, and they had mental health information,” Hsu said, “Afterward, we kept getting these messages saying, ‘Wow, this is great. My kid enjoyed this. This is a great thing we talked about as a family.’ It was just really cool seeing the impact that we have on people in the community.”

   Those in the youth commission value the leadership opportunity it provides where they can engage with the community.

   “I have done a lot more things than I would have, like reaching out to people, getting to know different organizations, and also just how city boards are run. So, I’ve gotten to gain a lot of communication skills and opportunities to reach out to people I never thought I would have,” Stevens said.

   The LYC provides an experience that goes beyond simple volunteering with the possibility to get involved in a multitude of ways. 

   “The [LYC] gives an incredible number of volunteer opportunities to suit a range of interests. Members can work artistic jobs deciding decor for events, financial jobs deciding budgets, research jobs choosing local nonprofits to which to donate, or front-facing jobs like working with attendees to LYC events,” LYC commissioner and senior Eden Hall said.

   This past year the LYC ran their annual haunted house, which not only serves as a fun event for the community but also a valuable source of income. Typically, it would be held indoors but, due to renovations, the location was changed to outdoors on the Bellinger Trail behind the Lafayette Community Center.

   “Last year’s Haunted House outside along the trail was amazing, and we still talk about how scary and cool and creative it was. You can really tell how much hard work goes into these events,” Peterson said.

   Many students outside of the commission volunteer and help out with the Haunted House by aiding in the planning, acting, and decorating. 

   “What caught my eye was the fact that it was almost entirely run and managed by kids … and all of the planning and meetings and everything was done by the youth officers,” sophomore Marley Oh said, “Besides being an opportunity to volunteer for the community, it was just a very fun experience where I could hang out with my friends.”

   Overall, the commission works hard to foster a community, not only within the commission but with everyone in Lafayette. This unifying role is something they hope to strengthen in the future.

   “We’ve built up a pretty solid network around us. We have kids from all the schools around Lafayette, and we’re in pretty good communication with the city council and other boards … We have a lot of regulars who know us as a commission that … has a really positive presence in our community,” Stevens said.