The County is launching a new initiative to develop youth leaders in Gwinnett by recruiting rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors to join the Gwinnett County Youth Commission. The deadline for submissions has been extended from Monday, May 1 to Friday, May 5 at 5 p.m.
The Gwinnett County Youth Commission begins with an eight-week summer program where students will get behind-the-scenes tours of Gwinnett County departments and learn the ins and outs of their County government.
“There are many youth leadership programs around the county that mainly focus on specific municipalities or target specific schools,” said Gwinnett Community Outreach Program Director Nicole Hendrickson. “This program is inclusive of all Gwinnett students attending any of our high schools and is intended to prepare future leaders for Gwinnett County as a whole.”
Classes meet Wednesdays, June 7 through July 26 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville.
At the conclusion of the eight-week program, students will be sworn-in by Chairman Charlotte Nash as official youth commissioners to speak on behalf of Gwinnett County’s young people, help plan community events and participate in volunteer projects.
“Our goal is to energize youth about the government process, become passionate about public service and help us as leaders to better understand the needs of youth because they are our constituents, too, ” Hendrickson added.
To be eligible for the Commission, students must be a resident of Gwinnett County, be a rising sophomore, junior, or senior at a Gwinnett high school and submit a completed application and a typed essay.
For more information, contact Nicole Hendrickson at nicole.hendrickson@gwinnettcounty.com or 770.822.8877, or visit the Gwinnett Youth Commission webpage.
