The City of Clermont announced the first meeting of its new youth council, a program aimed at giving south Lake County high-school students an opportunity to learn more about city government.
Clermont City Clerk Tracy Ackroyd Howe is the program sponsor. Howe said that 10 students applied for the program: five from South Lake High School, three from Lake Minneola High School and two from East Ridge High School.
“Several Council members expressed an interest in offering this program,” said City Manager Darren Gray. “We are excited about connecting with our younger citizens.”
Howe said that she hopes the program will inspire students to contribute and give back to the community and also said she hopes some will be inspired to pursue careers in public administration.
The students will meet for six months and will get an up-close look at many of the city departments. At the end of the six months, the Youth Council will collaborate to create a project that they feel will benefit the departments or the community. They will present the project to the City Council. Once approved, the teens will implement the project with the support of city staff.
