On November 20, the Montgomery County Council held its annual Youth Town Hall with a full house, hosting a space for over 100 attendees to voice their concerns at the local level.
The Youth Town Hall is an event designed for youth to share comments on what changes they want to see in their communities and allow the council members to better understand how they can plan for a future that will benefit rising generations.
“I can speak for all of my colleagues when I say the Annual Youth Town Hall is one of our favorite events of the year. We love the optimism that our students bring, even in some of the most challenging times,” Council President Andrew Friedson said.
Youth of all ages spoke before the board, sharing concerns regarding composting, mental health support, school infrastructure, and renter stability.
Northwest High School junior Peter Boyko said, “There was a composting club set up at Clarksburg Elementary that deters around 2000 pounds of food waste each month. The problem is, that Montgomery County doesn’t have a composting facility; the only one nearby is in Prince George’s County. Would the council be interested in setting up a composting facility in Montgomery County?”
Students also shared concerns about the school-to-prison pipeline, bullying, potential curriculum banning, safety and security, and recreational park funding.
A sixth-grader at Earle B. Wood Middle School said, “In September, there was a shooting in Georgia, [the Apalachee High School shooting.] What are the steps being taken to ensure that we have a safe environment for all students?”
With over 110 registered in-person participants and 400 registered online participants according to Friedson, the Youth Town Hall was high in demand from youth. Food and drinks were served an hour before the event started, and two student service learning hours were provided at the end of the night.
“If there is an issue that you care about, I would very much encourage you to come out and testify. As a former middle school teacher myself, I know that our [middle schoolers] are not too young to be having important voices for us to listen to,” councilmember Kristin Mink said.
