Connecting students with local government helps cities plan for the future.

By Kaya Williams

If you put a bunch of fourth graders in city hall, you might as well expect a bit of chaos. “Delightful chaos,” says Amy Howard, the deputy mayor of Port Townsend.

Kids’ questions range from the practical—“What’s your job? How much do you get paid?”—to the silly and absurd. Like, “Can I have your teeth?”

“Kids are weird,” Howard jokes. But they’re also prime targets for engagement and outreach programs—like the mock city council meetings that Howard helps organize in collaboration with local teachers. Students choose topics to debate and get to fulfill roles like mayor, councilmember, and public commenter.

Howard wants students to take home a “feeling of power” and a knowledge of how their local government works, because that “leads to the ability to work within it.” Community members, even at the youngest age, are less likely to feel angry and disenfranchised “if somebody teaches you how to have your voice heard.”

Youth engagement efforts can help the community understand that city employees are people, too, says Port Orchard Mayor Rob Putaansuu.

“Part of it, for me, is humanizing who I am,” Putaansuu says. He has organized mock council meetings in the past and now goes into a leadership class to talk with secondary school students about his job.

Like Howard, Putaansuu has fielded some lighthearted questions: Tweens and teens ask about his favorite band and favorite foods. But he also sees

it as an opportunity to bust misconceptions and empower youth with “accurate, firsthand information” about their community. That’s especially relevant at a time when misinformation spreads over social media, Putaansuu notes.

Leadership pipeline

The education doesn’t stop when students go home. Spokane City Council President Betsy Wilkerson says kids often share their experiences from city hall tours and mock council meetings with the adults in their lives. Spokane also distributes booklets about the structure of city government—translated into multiple languages—that are designed for kids, but are also helpful for adults, Wilkerson says.

Wilkerson wants these future voters to build and model pride in their community by participating in the civic process. She recently met with high school students and asked, “What do you want to see in our city?” reminding them of the power of the pen and the power of their voice.

Spokane also offers a youth seat on many of its volunteer boards and commissions. So does the city of Bothell, which hosts city hall tours, classroom outreach, and a Law Day where students can learn about different branches of government. Youth were also involved in the visioning process for what Bothell should look like in 2040.

Bothell City Manager Kyle Stannert credits a “millennial city council”—and other leaders on staff—for guiding the city’s long-range planning goals.

“We hear all the time that people are looking for professions where they get to do something for the greater good,” says Stannert, who understands that young people who are given an opportunity to shape a city’s future while in high school are more likely to step up as leaders when their time comes.

For more information: cityofpt.us, portorchardwa.gov, myspokanecity.org, bothellwa.gov