Colton Youth Council Highlights Student Leadership

Last week was the first meeting of the student leaders who have been accepted as members of the City of Colton Youth Council for 2026-27.  The five members of the 2026 Youth Council are Kimberly Huerta, Evelyn Hernandez, Sofia Vega, Melissa Walker, and Karina Lorenzo Morales. All of the students attend Colton High School, have a strong academic record in the classroom and have demonstrated leadership skills in their programs of interest.            The purpose of the Youth Council is to train outstanding students who have great potential for becoming future community leaders, and teach them about leadership, Colton History, and civic service. “This is a wonderful opportunity for these students,” exclaimed Maribel Rojas, mother of Kimberly who also attended the meeting, which is open to the public.            Created in 2016, the Youth Council was the brainchild of Dr.G, who was a high school teacher at Colton High for many years, and is now retired. After four very successful years of the original program, the doors to that program closed down for a couple of years due to the pandemic. Last year marked the beginning of the program once again, and the recent meeting “kicked off” the new school year for FY 26/27 with a new group of students. According to one student, Karina Lorenzo Morales, a CHS Junior, the first meeting, “was amazing getting to know the history that Colton has.”            The August 5 meeting was very successful. All five students attend the required meeting, which was held at the City Hall Council Chambers. Later this month, one of the student members will be selected to serve as chair once the appointment is officially made by the City Council. The agenda included a Welcome, Pledge of Allegiance, General Information session, a report on the Parks & Recreation Commission, Schedule of Guest Speakers, and a Guest Speaker presentation by Dr.G who traditionally starts the program off with a spirited talk about youth leadership.  After the presentation, a review of Colton publications was given followed by Q and A, photos and announcements. Future meetings will feature a variety of guest speakers including the City Manager, Police Chief, and Planning Director among others. The students will receive expert instruction, tour city facilities, and have the opportunity to meet in-person several community leaders and civic service professionals.            Looking forward, the Youth Council plans to meet once a month on the first Wednesday at 3:00pm. With the school year well off the ground, the students in the program will have many opportunities not only to learn about city operations, but to volunteer in the community for an array of activities that will contribute to community awareness and improvement. Hopefully this message will spread to other students at the high school as this high-quality program continues to develop.            The City of Colton is very excited about this program and looks forward to continuing development of these student leaders and involvement in civic affairs. Congratulations to the five students of the Colton Youth Council for FY26/27.