FOUNTAIN SPRINGS - The North Schuylkill Board of Education received an update at its Wednesday meeting on the work six students have done in planning for the first county Youth Summit to be held today.
High school student Michael Zangari, Girardville, spoke to school board members and administration about the preparations to attend the summit, which was spearheaded by Schuylkill County Commissioner Gary J. Hess and supported by fellow commissioners Chairman Frank J. Staudenmeier and George F. Halcovage Jr., along with Schuylkill County's VISION.
Zangari learned of the summit about six weeks ago and was asked to be part of the six-member North Schuylkill team. Each school district team includes two sophomores, two juniors and two seniors.
"Tomorrow, we're going down to the county courthouse. Each school district has to be six students in a group and they have do different activities," Zangari said. "We've already had to put together a 60-second video about showcasing our area. Pretty much what we're doing in total is to keep my generation and future generations in Schuylkill County."
The student teams will meet today in Courtroom No. 1 to discuss why so many young adults leave Schuylkill County and come up with solutions that may help retain them so they can live, work and raise a family in the area.
"A second part of this is we have to do a community project," Zangari said. "One thing is different about North Schuylkill compared to other school districts in the county. Our school district includes many communities, while others may only have one community. So we were looking at a project that we could do as a community project involving our school district. How could we pick one location that would benefit everyone?"
Zangari opened a folder with draft sketches of different designs for the creation of a large mural at the school.
"We've been working with the art department the past few weeks designing it," Zangari said. "And working with our industrial arts classes to build the framework, cutting anything that needs to be cut and mounting it wherever it will go."
He said the team has also been working with district Superintendent Andrew D. Smarkanic and high school Principal Christian Temchatin.
"We're not sure where it will go but it will definitely be exterior," Zangari said. "We're not sure the colors that will be in it and how it will fit in. Location-wise, it is up in the air."
Zangari said that some answers may be available at the summit, including if there is a price cap on how much a project can cost.
"Our group will have to do some fundraising," Zangari said. "I wanted to inform everybody what was going on and hopefully by next meeting we'll have more information."
"This is just one more example of the students coming together for a common cause in terms of representing the school, the county and the communities the best they can and really promoting the positive aspects of our community and Schuylkill County as a whole," Temchatin said.
