Youth Voices, Community Impact: YAC Kicks Off a New Year
- Solomon Valley Community Foundation
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Students from all three Mitchell County high schools recently came together for the first Youth Action Council (YAC) meetup of the year, kicking off a new season of connection, leadership and community involvement.
Through Solomon Valley Community Foundation, YAC gives local students an opportunity to connect with peers from across the county, learn more about the communities they call home and discover how their voices and ideas can help make a difference. For the first meetup, that started with something simple: getting to know one another.
Building Connections Across Mitchell County
Bringing together students from different schools and communities gives YAC members the chance to form relationships they may not otherwise have the opportunity to build. For Avery Budke, the day provided an opportunity to step outside her comfort zone and make a new connection.
“I made a goal to talk to new people and I accomplished my goal,” Budke said.
Fellow YAC member Jaedyn Arnoldy shared a similar experience.
“Coming into this day I thought it might be awkward, but we all had fun and got to know each other better,” Arnoldy said.
Those connections are an important starting point for a group that will spend the year working together, sharing ideas and bringing a youth perspective to conversations about the future of Mitchell County.
Giving Youth a Seat at the Table
YAC is about more than introducing students to community involvement. It creates a space for young people to share what they see, what matters to them and what they believe could make their communities stronger.
With students representing all three high schools in Mitchell County, the council brings together perspectives from across the county and gives young people an opportunity to learn from one another.
“We are excited to have students from all 3 high schools in Mitchell County working together and sharing a very important perspective for our communities, the voices of our youth,” SVCF Executive Director Julia Rabe said. “We want them to be inspired to live generously and love this place they call home.”
Throughout their time with YAC, students will have opportunities to learn about local leadership, explore community assets and see firsthand how generosity and involvement can create meaningful change close to home.
The day also gave YAC members a chance to experience some of the people, places and traditions that make Mitchell County communities unique. In Tipton, the group was welcomed for the day at the community’s new concession stand building.
Pat Corpstein introduced students to a local tradition by teaching them about Tipton burgers and getting them involved in preparing lunch. Lara Ketter with Purple Ribbon Cookies shared some of her cookies with the group, while Rolenda Corpstein helped host lunch and gave students a tour of the Tipton fitness center.
By visiting local spaces, meeting the people behind them and taking part in community traditions, students can build a stronger connection to the place they call home.
Learning to Lead by Getting Involved
Programs like YAC give students the opportunity to see that community leadership doesn't have to wait until adulthood. It can begin by starting a conversation with someone new. It can mean sharing an idea, volunteering time, listening to another perspective or choosing to get involved in something that matters.
Each experience gives students another opportunity to build confidence, strengthen relationships and better understand the role they can play in their communities. And while YAC is helping develop the next generation of Mitchell County leaders, these students don't have to wait until someday to make an impact. Their perspectives, ideas and involvement matter right now.
The first meetup was only the beginning.
As YAC members continue working together throughout the year, they'll have opportunities to build on the connections they made that day, become more involved in their communities and discover what it means to live generously in the place they call home.
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