COLTON>> On Tuesday, May 6 the Colton City Council recognized eight Colton High School students who were part of the first class to successfully complete the city’s new Youth Leadership Program. Established in 2016, Council Member Dr. G (Dr. Luis S Gonzalez) created the program to give local students the opportunity to “expand their perspective on how our city works.”
Chosen from the World History classes taught by Dr. G, all eight students were selected on the basis of their classroom success, interest in the community, and willingness to step forward to learn about the various aspects of the City of Colton. They attended workshop classes on Saturday mornings, once a month, which included informational sessions, tours, presentations, and round-table discussions. The City Council Chambers served as the classroom, and guest speakers were scheduled to add an “in-depth” aspect to the program.
“This is not a club, nor a social activity” stresses Dr. G. “It’s an intense ‘hands on’ workshop for young people.” Designed to coordinate with the school year in mind, the series of workshops included such topics as Police Department, Fire Department, City Manager’s office, Development/Planning Department, Water/Electric Conservation, and Community Services. “The students also met Mayor Richard DeLaRosa,” smiled Dr. G, as he explained that the Mayor was the first guest speaker of the new program. “These are valuable connections,” he adds,”they will soon become the future adult leaders in our community.”
“I’m truly pleased with this group,” continued Dr. G. “They have taken a giant step forward, and the community will benefit by having well-informed adult citizens.”
Looking forward, the Colton Youth Leadership program (CYL) will continue its series of workshops next year as a level one course, which will involve some returning students, as well as adding new ones. “I’m looking to expand to a dozen!”
Next year, the program will also include one or more students serving as a youth commissioner – a level two program. For this step, students who complete the entire cycle of level one workshops, as well as complete 20 hours of community service, will be eligible to apply to be a youth commissioner. “The development of this program is exciting,” Dr. G concludes. “The future of our city is in their hands.”
The City Council presentation also included remarks by Colton Mayor, Richard De La Rosa.