The second Schuylkill County Youth Summit will be held March 20 in Courtroom No. 1 at the county courthouse.
The event's community advisory group met Tuesday afternoon in the commissioner's Hoffman Room to set the tentative date and discuss other plans for the second Youth Summit.
"It's the power of youth that can make changes," Commissioner Gary J. Hess said Tuesday. "Government can not do it alone."
Hess and Kay Jones, executive director of Schuylkill County's VISION, spearheaded the first youth summit in March along with commissioners Frank J. Staudenmeier and George F. Halcovage Jr. and other community organizations, legislative offices and business associations with the goal of encouraging students to make the changes they want to see in their communities.
The community advisory group consists of representatives from area business, educational and legislative communities.
While the date can change, Hess said the courtroom is open on March 20. Hess also said the Salvation Army, located across the street from the courthouse, is open to hosting the students for lunch during the event. The lunch trip makes perfect sense as the student ambassadors said they are in favor of giving this year's event the theme "Get Involved: Volunteer Opportunities."
Hess said the students have been very involved in planning the next summit. In fact, the students weren't supposed to meet over summer break, but Hess said they didn't want to wait that long and held a meeting in July.
"It's their summit," Hess said.
The last time the students met, Hess said they suggested spending the morning discussing the top three issues in the county as identified through their surveys: quality of life, jobs and safety.
The students also recommended adding representatives from the following organizations to the annual county career fair at Martz Hall in April: Big Brothers/Big Sisters, YWMCA/YMCA, historical societies and museums, agricultural organizations and other civic organizations. The annual career fair is hosted by the Northeast Pa. Manufacturers and Employers Council and will be in April, but a specific date has not yet been determined.
Jones provided updates on the various student projects. Mahanoy Area students completed their clean-up project and are now working to secure a Fourth of July fireworks display for the borough for the first time in at least five years. In Schuylkill Haven, the students are planning student art shows at the Walk in Art Center. Shenandoah students are looking to start a student-run recycling center in the borough
Each Schuylkill County high school, as well as Gillingham Charter School and the north and south campuses of the Schuylkill Technology Center, have projects.
The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce Foundation provided $2,900 in funding for the student projects. Jones said some of the schools were able to raise their own money or received grants for their projects and no longer needed the initial funding.
"The interesting thing is that as they are getting involved, they are seeing more organizations out there willing to help them," Jones said.
Student ambassadors will meet later this month in the commissioners' Hoffman Room. The advisory group will next meet at 1 p.m. Feb. 4 in the Hoffman Room.