FORT PIERCE YOUTH COUNCIL
MEETING MINUTES
MEETING MINUTES
Fort Pierce Youth Council - Thursday, September 28, 2023 - 4:00 p.m.
Pierce Hall, River Walk Center, 600 N. Indian River Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida
1.
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 4:01 p.m. by Chairperson Deonna Davis.
2.
ROLL CALL
3.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
a.
Approval of August 17, 2023 meeting minutes
Motion to approve the minutes was made by Tyanna Gore and seconded by Cody Ingram.
4.
ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
5.
COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Any person who wishes to comment on any subject on this Agenda may be heard at this time. Please limit your comments to no more than five (5) minutes, as this section of the Agenda is limited to thirty minutes. The Youth Advisory Committee will not be able to take any official action under “Comments from the Public” section.
Any person who wishes to comment on any subject on this Agenda may be heard at this time. Please limit your comments to no more than five (5) minutes, as this section of the Agenda is limited to thirty minutes. The Youth Advisory Committee will not be able to take any official action under “Comments from the Public” section.
6.
OLD BUSINESS
a.
Video or Photo Competition
Janessa Diaz, the Chair of the Video Competition Subcommittee, was not present, so Ms. Moore-Wells asked the members if they had any ideas for the video competition based on the requirements. She gave a rundown of the requirements for the competition. She solicited advice from the Chairperson. Deonna Davis, the Chairperson, proposed that they create a subcommittee and recruit volunteers. The following members volunteered to serve on the subcommittee: Chairperson Deonna Davis, Cody Ingram, Tenelia Garner, Tyanna Gore, and Bryanna Gore. They also decided that the subcommittee would meet every Wednesday at 5 p.m. beginning on October 4th at the Boys & Girls Clubs location.
After the discussion of the video competition, Janessa Diaz arrived around 4:15 p.m. and shared her ideas with the group. She said that Lincoln Park Academy is just one of the many noteworthy educational historical landmarks in Fort Pierce. And there are educational opportunities available in Fort Pierce such as IRSC and the high schools with dual enrollment and scholarship programs. The members then shared their responses to what makes Fort Pierce great.
After the discussion of the video competition, Janessa Diaz arrived around 4:15 p.m. and shared her ideas with the group. She said that Lincoln Park Academy is just one of the many noteworthy educational historical landmarks in Fort Pierce. And there are educational opportunities available in Fort Pierce such as IRSC and the high schools with dual enrollment and scholarship programs. The members then shared their responses to what makes Fort Pierce great.
b.
Local Community Service Events
Since the committee's primary function is to serve as an advisory body to the City Commission, Ms. Moore-Wells questioned the members about their interest in participating in community service events.
The members talked about a number of upcoming community events, including the Community Fall Festival on October 25 from 5 to 7 p.m., Pack the House on October 20 and 21, Courageous Kids every Tuesday at 4 p.m. at 29th & G., the Chili Cookoff on October 21 from 11 to 3 p.m. at Clover Park, Trunk or Treat (various organizations), and distributing food to the hungry and to a homeless shelter. Flyers for upcoming community events hosted by the Boys & Girls Clubs were also provided by Ms. Kayla Turner.
The members talked about a number of upcoming community events, including the Community Fall Festival on October 25 from 5 to 7 p.m., Pack the House on October 20 and 21, Courageous Kids every Tuesday at 4 p.m. at 29th & G., the Chili Cookoff on October 21 from 11 to 3 p.m. at Clover Park, Trunk or Treat (various organizations), and distributing food to the hungry and to a homeless shelter. Flyers for upcoming community events hosted by the Boys & Girls Clubs were also provided by Ms. Kayla Turner.
c.
Council Member Assignments
Ms. Moore-Wells prompted the group to reflect on their roles and consider the kind of long-lasting impact they wished to have on their community.
Each application for the Youth Council was asked to describe their ideas and goals for the Council, their plans to support their community, one change they would make to the city, and their personal passions.
The members discussed a variety of initiatives, including a community brunch for youth and their families, basketball with a ministry encouraging youth to "put down the drugs and pick up the love," tutoring for younger students (elementary through middle school), roses for veterans, and fundraisers to support small businesses or nonprofit organizations. Each participant shared their personal passions and contributed to the discussion.
Ms. Moore-Wells informed the Youth Council that she needed to determine whether it would be possible for the Council to hold a fundraiser because it was connected to the City.
The members also talked about holiday-season community service opportunities.
Each application for the Youth Council was asked to describe their ideas and goals for the Council, their plans to support their community, one change they would make to the city, and their personal passions.
The members discussed a variety of initiatives, including a community brunch for youth and their families, basketball with a ministry encouraging youth to "put down the drugs and pick up the love," tutoring for younger students (elementary through middle school), roses for veterans, and fundraisers to support small businesses or nonprofit organizations. Each participant shared their personal passions and contributed to the discussion.
Ms. Moore-Wells informed the Youth Council that she needed to determine whether it would be possible for the Council to hold a fundraiser because it was connected to the City.
The members also talked about holiday-season community service opportunities.
d.
Collaboration with other Youth Councils
Kevin Singletary with Kids at Hope had reached out to Ms. Moore-Wells to express an interest in working with the Youth Council leadership group to do something on a broader scale.
7.
NEW BUSINESS
a.
Youth Council Calendar
Ms. Moore-Wells asked the members to suggest ideas or activities for a Youth Council calendar. Many students want to volunteer, so a member suggested that the Youth Council publish a calendar listing the dates when organizations require volunteers. Additionally, some students must complete volunteer hours in order to graduate or to qualify for Bright Future scholarships, but they are unsure of where to search. The Youth Council's calendar might be a useful tool. But someone from the Youth Council would have to lead that initiative and figure out how to get that information to the teen volunteers. The use of social media for the calendar was then discussed.
b.
Youth Award Recognition Program
Ms. Moore-Wells went over the Youth Award Recognition Program in greater detail. Now that the Commission has approved the award program, the Council must finalize it in order to begin working on how to promote it to the community and receive nominations for the awards. The submissions will be reviewed by the Youth Council, and recommendations will be made to the Commission. The Chair will be in charge of presenting the Commission with the recommendations. Individuals can be nominated for one of six categories. The Youth Council may be required to develop evaluation criteria. Each nomination will be reviewed by the Youth Council and ranked based on certain criteria.
The rules state that the recommended student or youth must have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher, and the parent must provide proof of residency within the City's boundaries.
The Council must also determine how to honor the individuals who are selected. In order to be eligible for the award, the person nominating a youth must submit certain items, such as a recommendation letter, photos, evidence of participation, and so on. The awards will be given out twice a year, in June and December. Nominations can be submitted between January and March, and then again in July and September.
The rules state that the recommended student or youth must have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher, and the parent must provide proof of residency within the City's boundaries.
The Council must also determine how to honor the individuals who are selected. In order to be eligible for the award, the person nominating a youth must submit certain items, such as a recommendation letter, photos, evidence of participation, and so on. The awards will be given out twice a year, in June and December. Nominations can be submitted between January and March, and then again in July and September.
c.
Community Services Event Coordinator
Ms. Moore-Wells informed the members that she is looking for a volunteer to research community service activities and community events, present them to the members to see if the Council wants to participate, create a calendar, and coordinate the participation. Janessa Davis volunteered to be the Community Services Event Coordinator.
8.
COMMITTEE AND STAFF COMMENTS
9.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn the meeting at 5:01 p.m. was made by Reese Adams and seconded by Cody Ingram.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 286.26, Florida Statutes, persons with disabilities needing special accommodation to participate in this meeting should contact the City Clerk’s Office at (772) 467-3065 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.