Students from each school district in Schuylkill County will be attending the first Youth Summit at the county courthouse March 21.
Teams of students will meet with community leaders in Courtroom No. 1 for a day centered on their concerns and ideas to make Schuylkill County a better place for youth to live, work, play and raise their families.
"The purpose of the summit is to engage, equip and support Schuylkill County youth to live well in Schuylkill County as successful adults and citizens," Commissioner Gary J. Hess said.
Hess spearheaded the event with support from fellow commissioners Chairman Frank J. Staudenmeier and Commissioner George F. Halcovage Jr.
"Schuylkill County's most valuable resource is the youth of our communities. It is imperative that we continue to listen to their concerns and provide opportunities for them," Staudenmeier said.
"We look forward to providing our youth, Schuylkill County's most valuable asset, the opportunity to express and share their ideas, opinions and needs," Halcovage said. "It is our responsibility to listen carefully to what our youth are saying, to consider how their ideas and opinions can be maximized and incorporated into future community planning and to support their needs into the future."
The morning will start about 9 a.m. with the results from surveys filled out by each high school student in Schuylkill County. The goal of the survey was to identify the issues that are important to the county's youth.
A panel of community leaders, including local legislators and entrepreneurs, will then discuss the students' thoughts and opinions. The focus of the afternoon will be to empower the students to be actively involved in their communities to make those changes.
Students will also present their ideas for projects addressing an issue in their communities. Lunches are being donated by local businesses.
Student representatives have been meeting with the commissioners and other organizers throughout the year to plan the event. Business, government, education and community-based organizations have also been involved in planning and will continue to work with the students as mentors and supporters throughout their projects.
The event will conclude about 1:30 p.m. and students will return to their schools for dismissal.