Hamilton teens are following the national trend of youth activism. Here’s how their work is changing the city.

Half a school year before a shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School killed 17 in February, prompting students there to lobby state and federal officials for gun reforms and school-safety measures, high-schoolers in Hamilton began activating without the violence.

The Hamilton Youth Commission, a group of students formed to offer suggestions to improve the city and learn about the world of civics around them, had fallen apart in recent years, but reconvened last school year. At the suggestions of students and adults, it has been reconfigured to make it stronger and to give it continuity from one school year to the next.

Hamilton High School student Reilly Johnson volunteered last summer in the city clerk’s office and happened upon part of the Hamilton Charter about the Youth Commission.

“As a young, active Hamiltonian, I was intrigued by this group I’d never heard of and did some investigating,” she said.

Johnson emailed City Council Member Tim Naab, who had been council’s liaison to the commission, and “he provided vigorous encouragement, advice and offers of assistance,” she said. She met with Kristin Youngmeyer, a city fellow, and Hamilton High School Principal John Wilhelm to revive the organization.

It is now a 16-member commission that includes students from both Badin and Hamilton high schools.

During the past school year, legislation that created the commission was changed to allow students to remain in the program more than one year, but they must re-apply and be chosen.

“Our group really focused on the opioid crisis,” said Anna Kiep, of Badin High School, who proposed an effort to develop drug-prevention programs. “This seemed to be the most pressing issue at hand. We each had our own thoughts about how to resolve it.”

Kiep believed education is a long-term prevention tool.

This past school year was one of gathering information, connections and funds for the youth commission, she said.

“All of this information will be put to use in the future sessions of youth commission,” Kiep said. “Hopefully, our ideas will go forward and be fruitful.”

Fiona Andrews, of Hamilton High School, agrees the commission now is prepared for future success.

“Because the Hamilton Youth Commission had been inactive for a few years, I think this group’s accomplishment we are most proud of is reestablishing a foundation for the future,” Andrews said. “We’ve done a great job with getting our name back in the Hamilton community.”

“I hope that next year’s commissioners and ambassadors can implement the ideas we had, come up with their own, and succeed on the foundation we laid this year,” Andrews said.

“All the youth involved in the first term are superstars,” said Kristin Youngmeyer, an adult who works for city government through a fellowship and is an adviser to the group. “I am excited to see what the youth continue to do. I want youth to know they are an important player in creating sustainable change in the community, and am working to find ways to connect them to opportunity to do so.”

Elias Tzoc, the commission’s vice chairman and a Hamilton High School student, sees the effort as part of a national trend.

“After all that has been going in the U.S., there has definitely been a move to get more and more youth involved at all levels of government and civic initiatives,” Tzoc said. “I’m glad that now we have a direct voice and direct influence on local projects. I think that typically people see involved youth as just volunteers, but the commission has given us a chance to actually lead our own initiatives of what we want to do like hosting the Mallory K. Naab Youth Forum — where we saw a lot of youth from Badin and Hamilton High Schools being able to interact with community leaders — as well as leading drug prevention programs.

“We, ourselves, are fulfilling a need we see going unmet in Hamilton and trying to bring a fresh perspective to it.” Tzoc said. “I hope that if these projects succeed, we can set a precedent for the Commission planning, implementing, and overseeing a variety of projects and Hamilton. In the future as well, I really want us to also become a semi-advisory group to the actual City Council, in order to give them a direct and mature response from Hamilton’s youth.”

Hamilton High School student Darshi Ambani was proud to have set up Instagram and Twitter accounts publicizing the organization: “Before we created social media, not a lot of people at my school knew who we were or what we did,” she said. “But now, more students are aware of us and are starting to get involved with the initiatives that we have partaken this year.”

For Badin High School student Ellie Gordon, the experience has helped build confidence as well as key work experience.

“I am going to be applying to some pretty competitive art schools next year, and the youth commission has given me the opportunities to feel confident about my applications,” Gordon said. “Being involved in Hamilton Youth Commission allowed me to make connections with some of the Hamilton city managers, and now I got the job of being the city photographer.”

This summer, Gordon will be working with the city’s graphic designer to create a photo-blog about the city, she said.

“The Hamilton Youth Commission sets teens up with real world problems and responsibilities. It’s a great thing for us, and a great thing for the city,” Gordon said.

Naab, city council’s foremost youth-commission advocate, said the commission’s revival will benefit the entire city.

“As this cohesive team of high school students evolve, they work on tangible projects for the betterment of not only their peers, but those for all residents in Hamilton,” he said.

Vice Mayor Michael Ryan, a former commission member himself, says his experience taught him leadership skills, public speaking and teamwork. But the most important lesson, he said, was: “Whether it’s being a part of civic groups or volunteer organizations, you have the opportunity to help your community grow and to know you are making a difference.”

Kiep, of Badin, said she has felt empowered.

“Our commission has tapped into something that is being much more prevalent throughout the country: youth activism,” she said. “We are shaping the kind of world we want to live in. Our commission is working toward a green, drug-free, and involved community.”

“The commission allowed me to voice my opinions and make it feel like they mattered,” she added. “We weren’t in a classroom pondering solutions, we were in City Hall making them happen.”

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