The Centennial Youth Commission will experience a nearly 50
percent turnover this year, opening the door for new teenagers to
get involved.
Five of the 11 teenagers currently serving on the commission
were seniors who graduated high school in May. With so many seniors
leaving, the new commissioners may be able to jump right in to
leadership roles.
“They have an opportunity to move up fairly quickly,” Centennial
spokeswoman Allison Wittern said.
The youth commission has the ability to propose ordinances,
develop community programs, host youth events, attend conferences
and more. In the past, youth commissioners have spread the word to
peers about Centennial’s curfew and worked with the Arapahoe County
Sheriff’s Office to combat texting and driving.
The Battle of the Bands, which is held each spring, is the
commission’s flagship event. The youth also organize a good drive
every winter in conjunction with Inter-Faith.
Applicants should be dedicated, willing to learn and creative,
Wittern said. The commission requires a considerable time
commitment, with meetings on the second and fourth Thursdays of
every month. Participating youths also must attend a certain amount
of Monday night city council meetings and Wednesday night planning
and zoning commission meetings.
Youth commissioners spent hours networking with city
councilmembers, including at dinners prior to council meetings.
“You learn a lot about local government as part of the youth
commission. Each year, the group implements new programs and
continues to be a strong voice for teens to the city,” said James
Clanton, Centennial’s staff liaison to the commission, in a
prepared statement.
Interested youths must be between 13 and 18 years old.
Applications are available on the city’s website at
www.centennialcolorado.com or at the Centennial Civic Center, 13133
E. Arapahoe Road. Completed packets can be dropped off at or
delivered to the Civic Center, or e-mailed to Brad Kearney at
bkearney@centennialcolorado.com.
The deadline is 5 p.m. July 15. More information can be obtained
by calling 303-754-3339.
The commission was established in 2003 to allow for interaction
and connectivity between the city government and youths.
