DE PERE (NBC 26) — De Pere's new Youth Commission puts 15 high school teens in a government role, where they advise city leaders on issues affecting young people.
Julia Whipp serves as chair of the commission.
"I think the youth offer such great perspectives and ideas, and I really want to see us implementing those," said Whipp.
She says the commission fills a need in the community.
Appointed by the mayor, the commissioners participate in local government decisions and bring a youth perspective to De Pere leadership.
Vice Secretary Elly Beard said she was drawn to the group by a passion for helping her neighbors.
Beard hopes to strengthen her neighborhood through the commission by uniting youth from the city's east and west sides.
"I feel like we're really divided," Beard said, "so I just feel like getting everyone together, we can make a lot of new connections, a lot of new memories, just, like, making De Pere, again, a happier place."
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Vice Chair Connor Mason says he's already made friends by serving on the group.
"This board is most definitely a step in the right direction to kind of promoting the youth voice," Mason noted.
He said the experience has already proven valuable to him personally.
"They're connections and experiences that really will shape me to who I will become as a young adult and throughout the rest of my life," Mason claimed, "so for that, I will be ever grateful."
The commissioners said they hope to advocate for the wants and needs of not just youth, but all their neighbors, and look forward to building community connections.
