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- Southlake Youth Action Commission
Friday, April 19, 2024
School is almost back in session and it’s time to start thinking about the extracurricular activities to join that will make your college application stand out! Join SYAC to differentiate your resume, meet friends, and gain valuable leadership skills.
What is SYAC?
The Southlake Youth Action Commission is an official City Board open to Southlake high school students and Carroll ISD attendees. SYAC members serve one-year terms and act as the official youth voice of the city.
Who Should Join SYAC?
The Southlake Youth Action Commission is for you if you want to learn more about how your community functions, get an inside look at the daily workings of local government and provide a youth perspective on city matters! We are looking for dedicated students interested in community service to become a vital part of this official city board. Past SYAC members are dedicated scholars, curious leaders, and care about the community they live in!
What does SYAC Do?
SYAC meets monthly from October to May to learn all about the local government process. Serving as a SYAC member will teach you valuable skills such as conducting an official meeting, speaking in public, and managing a project. Meeting important city leaders, learning about different municipal services, and presenting to the City Council are typical activities on the SYAC monthly agenda! Other highlights include managing a service project, participating in Intern Day, and gaining valuable volunteer hours.
Don’t miss your chance to be a part of SYAC this year! Applications are available now and are due on August 31!
As the Southlake Youth Action Commission wraps up another successful year, City staff are already planning for the 2023-2024 academic year.
The Southlake Youth Action Commission (SYAC) held its final meeting on Monday, May 8. Southlake Mayor John Huffman visited the group as a guest speaker and answered questions about city leadership.
SYAC is a group of Southlake and Carroll ISD high school students interested in local government and leadership. They bring youth-related issues to the City Council’s attention and participate in community service projects annually.
Here’s a look at what SYAC accomplished during the 2022-2023 school year:
Participating in SYAC is a great way to earn volunteer hours while giving back to the community. Previous SYAC members have secured internships with the City and have gotten accepted into prestigious college programs.
As this year closes, we look forward to next year’s cohort. If you are an exceptional student looking to get more involved in your community, learn about leadership, and participate in local government, submit your application today! Applications are due on August 30, 2023.
The Southlake Youth Action Commission was in Dallas on February 4-5, 2023, to attend the Texas Youth Advisory Commission (YAC) Summit, hosted by the City of Dallas and sponsored by the Texas Municipal League.
This annual event provided YACs from across the state the opportunity to attend skill-building workshops, hear from motivational speakers, and share ideas.
While the summit has a serious mission of educating, inspiring, and empowering, it is also built as a fun environment to help connect youth with other youth leaders and city leaders. More than 200 youth leaders and city officials from around the state attended the summit. The Southlake Youth Action Commission was represented by Carroll Senior High School student and SYAC member, Kahna Jain.
The Southlake Youth Action Commission looks forward to participating in the Texas YAC Summit in years to come. The City of Southlake extends a hearty thank you to the City of Dallas and the Texas Municipal League for hosting such an educational and fun event.
Click here to learn more about the Southlake Youth Action Commission and how you can get involved in representing the youth voice of Southlake.
Are you an exceptional Southlake teen/ Carroll ISD student? Do you love giving back to your community while simultaneously learning more about local government and how it affects your day-to-day life?
Participating in the Southlake Youth Action Commission (SYAC) gives you first-hand access to the City’s leaders and staff. Ever wonder how strategic decisions about which roads to build or which projects to finance are made? Want to connect with like-minded overachievers and emerging leaders?
The Southlake Youth Action Commission is a recommending volunteer body that serves as the youth voice for the City. In addition, SYAC members get to participate in various volunteer and learning opportunities throughout the year. If you are looking for a way to make your resume and college applications stand out, then apply to be on SYAC for the 2022-2023 school year!
Applications for the upcoming school year are currently open! Here are the requirements to apply:
The Southlake Youth Action Commission (SYAC) consists of civic-minded young residents with a passion for learning and giving back to their community.
Each year, young members of the Southlake community volunteer their time to serve on this crucial City board. They learn about local government and share their perspectives as part of the City’s youth. This year’s SYAC Chair, Katy Lin, led the group through various projects. They learned about the CIP process, picked up litter on Shady Oaks Dr. through Keep Southlake Beautiful Adopt-A-Street Program, and participated in a City-wide Intern Day.
A soon-to-be graduate of Carroll Senior High School, Katy Lin, is heading to Cambridge, Massachusetts in the Fall to join the Harvard University Class of 2026! She hopes to pursue a concentration in government with a minor in philosophy. Her future career plans include attending law school and becoming a human rights lawyer for an international NGO!
Katy served on SYAC all four years she was in high school. After last year’s Intern Day, Katy procured a summer internship in the City Manager’s Office, where she got a first-hand view of the City’s strategy.
“SYAC helped me understand the functions of the City and the greater importance of local government. It widened my understanding of how much municipal decisions affect the lives of residents, often far more than state or national politics. Being a part of SYAC has also taught me the importance of service to my community and instilled a passion to continue that wherever I go.” Katy Lin, SYAC Chair.
Congratulations on your acceptance to Harvard, Katy! We’ll miss seeing you around the City this Fall, but we know you have a bright future ahead!
Calling all civic-minded Southlake high school students: The Southlake Youth Action Commission is now accepting applications for the 2021-2022 academic year.
If being the voice of Southlake’s youth, learning about the City of Southlake, and participating in community events intrigues you, then SYAC is the place for you!
SYAC is a group of ambitious high school students who want to learn more about local government while making a difference in their community. Members meet once a month during the academic year to interact with different city departments, learn about government functions, and volunteer at exciting city events.
Joining SYAC is an excellent way to gain volunteer hours, make new friends, and boost your resume for college applications. When you become a SYAC member, you get the opportunity to connect with city staff and leaders to gain a better understanding of how the City functions. Highlights of the year include participating in Intern Day, specialized volunteer opportunities, and meeting with City Council members.
Here’s what former SYAC members have to say about their experience:
“I started SYAC my freshman year. It has been one of the best organizations to connect with the local government throughout my high school career. Interning and speaking with city officials monthly has taught me so much about Southlake and how the youth are vital community members. I highly recommend applying to this program if you are interested in government, politics, or just willing to explore new fields of study.” – Rishik Bethi, 2020-2021 SYAC President.
“Many residents don’t understand the importance that local government has on us. Through SYAC’s guest speakers, hands-on projects, and internship opportunities, I’ve not only learned how decisions that regularly affect me are made, but I also developed my own ideas and opinions on municipal decisions. Intern Day, especially, has always been a wonderful experience.” Katy Lin, 2020-2021 SYAC Vice President.
“As a part of SYAC, I was provided with an invaluable view into how city municipalities function. It has opened my eyes in terms of future career paths I can pursue. I enjoyed listening to speakers from different departments about what their daily tasks look like, the education they took, and how their career has changed throughout time.” Samad Rizvi, SYAC Member.
“SYAC is a great organization that allows students to explore and learn more about how the city is run. I love the Intern Day that SYAC does each year.” Sana Khan, SYAC Member.
Ready to take your knowledge of local government to the next level? Apply today! Applications are due on August 31.
Are you a Freshman or Sophomore living in Southlake or attending CISD? Would you enjoy learning more about the City of Southlake, attending City events, and earning volunteer hours? Then you should fill out a SYAC application today!
SYAC members will meet monthly, on the second Monday of each month at 4:15 p.m. at The Marq Southlake. SYAC is accepting applications through October 1, 2019.
What is SYAC?
The Southlake Youth Action Commission is a group aimed at teaching students more about their local government. Commission members will meet with each city department and learn about its role within the city as well as attend city events and participate in volunteer opportunities.
If you’re a student and you’d like to learn more about what government looks like at the local level, SYAC is a great opportunity. Apply to join today!
Learn more about SYAC and how to apply here.
For questions about the application process, please contact Cassie Tucker at (817) 748-8036.
Southlake City Council adopted the 2035 Youth Master Plan at the September 4 Council meeting. This new master plan element recognizes the importance of investing in the younger generations and their role in the City’s future.
The purpose of the Youth Master Plan is to establish clear goals and priorities for the next several years related to building up and encouraging youth in the community.
“The Youth Master Plan is a brand new element in the Southlake 2035 Comprehensive Plan that was developed by the community’s youth and provides recommendations to strengthen a number of existing youth-related programs as well as provides many recommendations related to leadership, community engagement, health & wellness, and volunteerism” said Senior Planning and Development Services Director Ken Baker.
In total, there are twenty-one (21) recommendations in the Youth Master Plan. Grouped by the categories listed above, these recommendations speak to involving the community’s youth in the policy and decision-making process, expanding library programming, promoting safety and security, as well as health and wellness programs, and even working to expand volunteer opportunities for the youth. A major takeaway from this plan is that the City should actively seek the youth perspective when developing certain master plan elements, expanding youth programming, and ensuring the City does what it can to foster an environment where youth have opportunities to build leadership and job skills, and remain or become engaged stakeholders in their community.
The plan underscores that to successfully implement the developed recommendations it is critically important to maintain a strong partnership with our citizens and continuously identify opportunities to engage our corporate citizens and various community groups.
To ensure adequate representation and feedback from the community’s youth, City Council appointed the Southlake Youth Action Commission (SYAC) to develop this plan. City staff also held meetings with the Southlake Kids Interested in Leadership (SKIL) and the Community Engagement Committee (CEC) between October 2017 and March 2018. All three committees participated in surveys, tabletop exercises and discussions that provided invaluable insight in the development of this plan, particularly in regard to furthering youth engagement in Southlake.
If you have any questions regarding the Youth Master Plan please contact the Planning and Development Services Department at (817) 748-8621 or visit our city website.
Are you a high school student living in Southlake or attending CISD? Would you enjoy learning more about the City of Southlake, attending City events and earning volunteer hours? Then you should fill out an SYAC application today!
SYAC members will meet on the first Monday of each month at 4:15 p.m. at Southlake Town Hall.
SYAC is accepting applications through October 1, 2018. View and print the application.
What is SYAC? The Southlake Youth Action Commission is a group aimed at teaching students more about their local government. Commission members will meet with City leaders as well as attend City events and participate in volunteer opportunities.
If you’re a student and you’d like to learn more about what government looks like at the local level, SYAC is a great opportunity. Apply to join today!
Learn more about SYAC by visiting www.cityofsouthlake.com. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Cassie Tucker at (817) 748-8036.