A Reflection on the Palo Alto Youth Council’s Retreat
Charlie Zeitlin
How do you start your youth commission’s year with energy, purpose, and a clear vision for the year ahead?
This past weekend, the Palo Alto Youth Council met at the Mitchell Park Community Center to do just that–by engaging in team-building exercises, goal-setting, and filling our leadership positions.
This post will outline the process of our retreat, what worked well/what didn’t, and what I‘d recommend for other youth commissions.
We started the morning with a comprehensive briefing for new members on our city's history, legislative process, and our council members. We reviewed the past initiatives the youth council has done as well.
Later, we did an ice-breaker exercise and had time for members to reconnect after the summer break.
Then, our co-presidents and youth council advisor led us through an event planning training: we were divided into groups and given a mock event to plan and present our event plans to the whole group. Each group received feedback from other members on their logistical plans and the event's impact.
After a leisurely pizza break, we reconvened and engaged in a 90-minute brainstorming session. Every member, as we went around the table, shared their perspectives on the most pressing issues affecting Palo Alto youth. Topics included youth mental health, civic engagement, climate change, and e-bike/allergy awareness. Then, we discussed which events and campaigns we felt could most effectively target these issues. Collectively, we voted on each of these initiatives and set an agenda for the year ahead.
My advice for other youth commissions would be to host a retreat that first and foremost excites YC members about the opportunity we have to impact the youth in our cities.. Then, the retreat should help to propel their members to action by setting concrete, achievable goals. In addition, building camaraderie is critical, and making the experience fun is a must.
Thank you for reading about the Palo Alto Youth Council’s experience, and as youth commissions kick off all across California, we encourage you to host your own.
Image Credit: Jet Set and Forget