Last week was the November meeting of the City of Colton Youth Council. Starting in August, the Youth Council has continued 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 Police Department, which was presented by Colton Police Chief Mr. Anthony Vega. Previous topics thus far included Youth Leadership, Community Services and the Colton Fire Department. “The Youth Council is a terrific program that prepares our young community leaders for future growth and success in their careers.” commented Chief Vega, who added, “This group of young leaders gives me hope for our future.”
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 Nov.5 meeting was very successful. Ava served as Chair, which was an appointment based on 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 Police Chief, History of Colton, leadership and volunteer opportunities, a review of Colton Publications and then a special inside tour of the Colton Police Station. This guided-tour was led by Officer Jacquelyn Albin, who talked about the different divisions of the Police station, walked through the facilities, and gave the students a first-hand “experience” of being in a police unit (cruiser), and being in a jail cell. One of the students, Kaitlyn Torres reflected, “I really liked the tour as it was a glimpse into what our officers do in everyday life and how they protect our community.”
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.