Accepting Applications: Minnesota Youth Council

I have long considered myself fortunate to have been raised in Minnesota. Not only for the myriad reasons I list now regarding our cultural amenities, leadership across a range of quality of life indicators, and high rates of civic engagement and volunteerism, but because of the ample opportunities for youth engagement and leadership. One of these opportunities is with the Minnesota Youth Council, which engages youth and adults to work in partnership to represent Minnesota's diversity and provide youth perspective on issues throughout the state. MYC is currently accepting applications for 2012-2013 members and encourages youth and adults pairs to apply as a team. Could this be you and a young person that you work with or mentor? Learn more about the MYC model below and consider applying to help represent and support young people in Minnesota!

Youth Council

MISSION

The Youth Council, in collaboration with youth-adult partnerships within communities and across the state, provides youth with a forum to exercise their voice by connecting and mobilizing youth voice and youth action, discussing policy issues, and advising the work of the Minnesota Alliance With Youth and its partners.

OVERVIEW

The Minnesota Youth Council (MYC) seeks to recruit a diverse group of youth and adults working in partnership whom represent the changing face of Minnesota and provide much-needed youth perspective into youth issues throughout our state.

MYC gives members a forum to develop and strengthen their voices, engage in a dialogue with legislators and policy makers at the state level, as well as with local elected officials such as mayors, school superintendents and city council members.

Additionally, members become equipped with critical thinking, public speaking and leadership skills necessary to act as representatives of youth in their communities and across the state.

One example of the advocacy of MYC members is their work throughout the year to influence our state’s growing achievement gap. At retreats, members educate each other and receive training about Minnesota’s achievement gap, and work to advise Minnesota state legislature.

The council consists of four members from each congressional district in Minnesota and four members selected at large. Members will be selected through an application and interview process conducted by the Minnesota Alliance With Youth. In making its appointments, the Minnesota Alliance With Youth will strive to ensure gender and ethnic diversity in the council’s membership.

http://mnyouth.net/council/myc-application/

2012-2013 Minnesota Youth Council Application

Application and Selection Process

Application Due: May 11^th, 2012
Interviews: May 17^th – June 8^th 2012
Applicants notified: June 2012
3-day Orientation Session: September 2012

Background

THE MINNESOTA ALLIANCE WITH YOUTH

The mission of Minnesota Alliance With Youth (the Alliance) is to ignite the spark in all young people in Minnesota to become actively engaged, develop strong voices, and acquire the skills needed for success in school, work, and life. In order to ensure all youth achieve success in school, work, and life, we focus on four strategies: 1) strengthening youth success in school and learning, 2) increasing youth contribution through service & leadership opportunities, 3) developing and magnifying youth voice, and 4) advancing collaboration and innovation. As a statewide collaboration of existing organizations, the Alliance offers training, resources, support, and AmeriCorps Promise Fellows to communities that share our vision and want to promote positive youth outcomes, including graduation for all.

As Minnesota’s leading convener, collaborator and capacity-builder for youth development, the Alliance works with and for youth to ensure that all young people have access to five fundamental resources proven to ensure that youth succeed. Known as the Five Promises, these resources are: caring adults; safe places; a healthy start; effective education; and opportunities to help others. The Alliance is the Minnesota affiliate of the America’s Promise Alliance and contributes resources to schools, communities and partner organizations across the state in the form of AmeriCorps Promise Fellows. We have hosted over 600 Fellows during the last 14 years.

THE MINNESOTA YOUTH COUNCIL
The Minnesota Youth Council (MYC) seeks to recruit a diverse group of youth and adults working in partnership whom represent the changing face of Minnesota and provide much-needed youth perspective into youth issues throughout our state. MYC gives members a forum to develop and strengthen their voices, engage in a dialogue with legislators and policy makers at the state level, as well as with local elected officials such as mayors, school superintendents and city council members. Additionally, members become equipped with critical thinking, public speaking and leadership skills necessary to act as representatives of youth in their communities and across the state.

One example of the advocacy of MYC members is their work throughout the year to influence our state’s growing achievement gap. At retreats, members educate each other and receive training about Minnesota’s achievement gap, and work to advise Minnesota state legislature. The council consists of four members from each congressional district in Minnesota and four members selected at large. Members will be selected through an application and interview process conducted by the Minnesota Alliance With Youth. In making its appointments, the Minnesota Alliance With Youth will strive to ensure gender and ethnic diversity in the council's membership.

YOUTHPRISE
Youthprise was founded in 2010 by the McKnight Foundation to increase the quality, accessibility sustainability and innovation of opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. With youth and adults working in partnership, Youthpise brings together resources and people to identify and scale great programs and strength systems and policy so that all Minnesota youth thrive. Youthprise and the Minnesota Alliance With Youth are engaging in a cross-cutting collaboration to strength the Council’s infrastructure and youth voice throughout the state. The goals of the partnership are to increase accountability and avenues for youth to impact policy and be key decision makers in the in distribution of philanthropic dollars that support learning beyond the classroom, resulting in an increased graduation rate and decreased opportunity gap among Minnesota youth and to strengthening statewide infrastructure for quality youth engagement and sustainable youth and adult partnerships. This unique partnership will help us to build the foundation for youth council members to advance as leaders in the civic, political, and philanthropic fields at the state and local level