This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
10/14/2020 09:15 AMA proposal to generate youth involvement, and elevate youth voices in town government received an enthusiastic, if non-committal, response from the Board of Selectmen (BOS) late last month, as they expressed interest in a plan put forth by some of the town’s youth leaders that would create positions for teen liaisons on boards and commissions, among other things.
Daniel Hand High School (DHHS) students Jake Daignault, Olivia Henkel, and Darian McMahon spoke at the Sept. 28 BOS meeting, laying out what they described as a path for Madison’s leaders to better understand issues and concerns of the younger population while simultaneously providing teens the chance to engage with local government and potentially find mentors and other resources.
Daignault and McMahon serve on the board of Madison Youth & Family Services (MYFS), and Daignault said through his work and experience there, he saw an opportunity for both the town and Madison students to benefit tremendously.
“Because of the opportunities, the excitement, and the passion that I’ve gotten from [the MYFS] position, I want to make it my job to make sure that ten times as many kids get to be on these boards, because it’s truly an unbelievable opportunity we give to kids,” he said.
The proposal would add two non-voting youth liaison positions similar to the structure already in place on the Board of Education and MYFS to eight other boards and commissions: the BOS, the Board of Finance, Charter Review Commissions, the Economic Development Commission, the Board of Police Commissioners, the Beach & Recreation Commission, the Conservation Commission, and the Planning & Zoning Commission.
The youth liaisons would also have a chance to meet as a group and share with each other issues or resources that might be important across these different bodies, according to Daignault.
Daignault said he was seeking the “official approval” of the BOS, which he did not get. For a timeline, he said he hoped to see rollout of the liaison proposal by the end of the year, and an eventual codifying of the new structure in the town’s charter.
First Selectman Peggy Lyons thanked the students for their enthusiasm while cautioning against implementing something that would be “too burdensome,” and wondered if the selection and recruitment process would be able to consistently fill the liaison positions. She said the BOS might “work on something that we think is practical to roll-out, if there’s support for that.”
“I have to say, I look at some challenges to the proposal you currently put on the table,” she said.
Selectman Bruce Wilson advised Daignault and the others to go participate in meetings as private citizens as the BOS ponders a way forward, while Selectman Scott Murphy offered the idea of a more gradual rollout, aiming to add a couple liaison positions every year to build interest gradually.
Daignault said he has already been in touch with MYFS and Madison Public School administration about recruitment, and presented 80 signatures from his peers interested in the program.
After the meeting, Daignault told The Source that he felt Murphy’s idea was reasonable, but reiterated that codifying an avenue for youth voices to be heard was something for which he would continue to fight.
“Anything’s better than not having anything,” he said. “Every youth voice matters. Every time a youth is presenting, they’re getting a whole new perspective they didn’t even consider. It’s going to be really important, and I think they’re going to really see the value in it. I’m hoping they do.”
Overall, the town has struggled to engage its population, or spark involvement in local government, with everything from voter turnout, meeting attendance, and education the subject of recent discussions by town officials. Notably, the Government Study Committee, formed to identify fundamental issues with the town’s government structure, identified engagement and participation as an area of concern.
Henkel said listening to the youth voice is also vital and for the sake of students. She cited MYFS’ biennial study that measures things like suicidal thoughts, drug use, and mental health at the schools, which student leaders are involved in analyzing and presenting.
“One of the biggest assets is mentorship, and mentorship...provides validation, and allows students to be heard, and that’s all that students want,” Henkel said.
“If you’re talking about substance use in the high school and where your resources are going for that, hear from a student perspective,” Daignault said. “The data is telling you a certain number, but we’re putting a person behind the data. We’re giving you a real life person to talk to about their experiences, and there’s nothing more valid than that.”