Two Thursdays every month, 25 youth ages 13-21 gather at the County Center in Redwood City to discuss important issues affecting youth in San Mateo County — and work with County government to solve them. They are part of the San Mateo County Youth Commission, a civic engagement program for youth. The issues range from teen marijuana use to access to transportation to schools and public parks.
In the meetings, participants are divided into five subcommittees in order to focus more closely on specific issues. The committees include Health & Wellness, Environmental Justice, Education & Economic Development, Human Rights, and Immigration.
Menlo Park resident Vikram Seshadri, who is wrapping up his Freshman year at Menlo School, is one of the members.
“I’m really interested in government and politics,” he said. “I did model UN at school and think this is a good way to serve my county.
“I am on the Education and Economic Development committee. We are working on increasing access to early childhood education and making transportation to school more accessible.
“It’s also been fun. I’ve been able to attend amazing events, such as the Youth Commission Convening, where I was able to meet commissioners from other counties in the Bay Area and hear from speakers about ways to have an impact on your community. The retreat in Half Moon Bay where we did team building activities was another highlight.
“Overall, my experience on the San Mateo County Youth Commission has been amazing. I love being able to help with youth issues in Menlo Park and all of San Mateo County.”
And yes, he’ll be serving during the next school year as well.
Photo by Linda Hubbard (c) 2019
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