Parma Mayor Starts Parma Youth Commission

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When Mayor Tim DeGeeter realized something that a city in Indiana was doing might be useful right here in Parma, he went right to work. He formulated a plan, chose someone to implement it, and voilà - the Parma Youth Commission is born.

DeGeeter contacted City Council President Sean Brennan to be the program's facilitator. Brennan is a high school American Government teacher, and agreed to take up the challenge. The Mayor first brought up the idea at his State of the City speech at the end of February.

The Parma Youth Commission was created to give young residents in grades 9-12 the opportunity to take a more active role in and learn more about their community. Students will be given opportunities to participate in local government, network with community business and non-profit leaders, plan and implement community service projects, etc. One of the most important functions of the commission will be gaining input from the students about to make Parma an even better place for young people to live.

The city's leaders want to become more in touch with its youth and to build a corps of youth leaders. “Our youth are important members of our community – its future.  However, often they do not feel that they are valued. The Youth Commission will give our youth a stake in the community to help make them realize that they are important residents and have a responsibility to get involved and to make a difference,” Mayor DeGeeter said in his speech. 

Added Council President Brennan: “I wholeheartedly agree with the Mayor’s vision for our youth. By giving young men and women a voice and empowering them, the potential new ideas, opportunities and positive results for the community as a whole are endless."

The Commission will begin as a 10 to 12-member body with efforts will being made to ensure that the group includes voices from all nine wards, both genders, and is reflective of Parma’s diverse ethnic and racial makeup. Public, private and home-schooled students are welcome to apply. Meetings will take place about once a month, but may include more as the group plans its activities. It is envisioned that the meetings will involve members talking about issues facing the city’s youth, including safety, education, youth programs, recreation, etc. However, the hope is that the Commission, its discussions, tasks, and decisions will be youth-driven in large part.

Possible activities the group might undertake include tours of and meetings with leaders from the City of Parma (Mayor, Law Director, City Council, etc.) and from the city's business community and assisting in planning community events (Rib ‘n Rock, movie nights, etc.).

For an application, students can contact Council President Brennan at councilmanbrennan@sbcglobal.net.