Last week was the October meeting of the City of Colton Youth Council. Starting in August, the Youth Council continues to meet monthly to learn about leadership, the history of Colton and the basic operations of our city. The focus last week was on the Colton Fire Department, which was presented by Colton Fire Chief Ray Bruno. Previous topics thus far included Youth Leadership and Community Services. “It was a privilege meeting our Youth Council. Their commitment to our community’s future is inspiring,” commented Chief Bruno, as he closed his presentation about the Fire Department.
The members of the Youth Council are Ava Diaz, Samantha Sandoval, Kaitlyn Torres, Jasmin Lopez Herrera, and Leah Ornelas. All of the students attend Colton High School and have been accepted as members of the Youth Council by demonstrating leadership skills, academic excellence and receiving recommendations from their teachers. DrG is founder and Director of the Colton Youth Council, which originally started in 2016.
The October 1 meeting was very successful. Ava served as Chair, which was an appointment based her current position as Youth Commissioner on the Colton Parks and Recreation Commission. The agenda included: Welcome, Pledge of Allegiance, Report on the Parks & Recreation Commission, Schedule of Speakers, the Guest Speaker presentation by the Fire Chief, History of Colton, leadership and volunteer opportunities, a review of Colton Publications and then a special inside tour of the main Colton Fire Station.
Being that Fire Station 211 is one block away, the Youth Council left on a walking “field trip” from city hall and met up with an enthusiastic team of fire fighter personnel who were more than willing to share their knowledge and experience stories with the students. The students toured the facility, met the staff, and had an up-close look at a city fire engine, paramedic truck, and associated equipment. The Fire Chief led the tour and answered questions from the students.
The purpose of the Youth Council is to train outstanding students who have demonstrated great potential for becoming future community leaders, and to teach them about leadership, Colton history, and civic service. The City of Colton continues to support this program and looks forward to their development and involvement in civic affairs throughout the remainder of this fiscal year.