From Left to Right: Chris Shea (Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission), Andy Krause (Heritage Preservation Commission), Ross Viland (Heritage Preservation Commission), Mackenzie Epping (Heritage Preservation Commission), David Westphal (Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission), and Kian Missaghi (Human Rights and Diversity Commission).
This fine group of young people are six of the twelve Eden Prairie students that served as Student Board and Commission Members to four of the City’s citizen advisory baord. The students served on the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resoruces Commission; Arts & Culture Commission; Historic Preservation Commission; and the Human Rights & Diversity Commission. The students, who all live in Eden Prairie, are high school students in Eden Prairie, Hopkins, and Holy Family high schools. Their terms of service are roughly from November to May.
One the sub-missions (if that’s a word) we have in city government is to educate the community’s young people on civics and government. Over my career, this has been one of the favorite parts of my job. I enjoy it because students often force me to refocus my own insights on government. Students often approach government with hopeful interest. That’s encouraging. Students also energize staff and the Board and Commission Members they serve with. While they do not get to vote on the Boards and Commissions, they are active in the other affairs of the Board and Commission, such as the debate, discussion, and investigative activities.
I snapped this photo of our students this week when we met with them in a debriefing session. We got them together to discuss their experience and how we could improve that experience. They gave us many good ideas, including the idea that we ought to start the recruitment process now for the Student Board and Commission Members that we want for this fall. I think that’s a great idea that we would not have come up with on our own. I think we’re going to do that.
We got some very good young men and women for this program. I am anxious to get it started for this fall.
