By Joseph Knoop
The Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council recently selected its members for the 2014-2015 term. The council is composed of 28 high school students and led by President Matt Klineman and Vice President of Expansion Leah Zukerman.
The council, formed in 2010, focuses its efforts on helping students become involved in their community, including organizing fun, teen-oriented events and dedicating time to service projects throughout the area.
Members also attend government meetings and work alongside city leaders in empowering young adults.
New events are on the schedule for the youth council’s term, including a Carmel Fall Fest sponsorship and an event involving a partnership with the Carmel Arts Council, as well as additional mural projects following the success of the group’s Indiana Design Center mural.
The youth council will also help gather volunteers for the city’s new Porchfest event in September and partner with Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation to bring additional events to Carmel.
“As president, I really want to expand our involvement with the various city offices, whether that be through tours, question and answer sessions or through contact for our various events,” Klineman said. “Learning how our local government functions is a pillar of CMYC that I would like to see grow just as fast as our involvement with various service projects and events.”
The council will be continuing its established events, too, including its Waterpark Palooza at the Monon Center and the Carmel Art Gala at the Carmel library.
Members of the council are selected based on leadership skills, extracurricular involvement and overall achievement.
In general, we are really expanding our involvement with different projects and initiatives around Carmel because we feel that that is an area that we can really make an impact as an organization,” Klineman said. “Running these real-world events in the community also provides members of the Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council a really unique learning experience that other students in the state don’t have the opportunity to pursue.”
The council’s next meeting will be conducted June 12.
