Youth Commission

AGENDA Youth Commission Commissions Room Arlington Heights Village Hall, 33 S. Arlington Heights Rd., AH 60005 December 5, 2024 6:00 PM I. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. October 17, 2024 Minutes IV. REPORTS A. Library B. Park District C. Police Department D. Schools E. Members at Large V. OLD BUSINESS A. Fall/Winter Project The Commission will further develop and plan their volunteer initiative for community teens. B. Snow Shoveling Referral Program The Commission will discuss how to promote the program to teens. C. Teen Job Fair The Commission will start initial planning for the Teen Job Fair 2025. VI. NEW BUSINESS VII. OTHER BUSINESS A. Announcements / Correspondence VIII. PUBLIC COMMENT Page 1 of 6 Anyone wishing to speak on a subject not on the Agenda may speak at this time. Please limit your comments to three minutes. IX. ADJOURNMENT Persons with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services, such as an American Sign Language interpreter or written materials in accessible formats, should contact Erin Mercado, at 33 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005, emercado@vah.com or 847/368- 5793. Page 2 of 6  Minutes Village of Arlington Heights Youth Commission Arlington Heights Memorial Library 500 N. Dunton Ave, Cardinal Room September 19, 2024 6:00 PM I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Son called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. All stood for the Pledge of Allegiance. II. ROLL CALL Present Also Present Alice Son, Chair James McCalister, Liaison Jennifer Borrell Kimberly Witt, Administrative Assistant Matt Healy Tracey Colagrossi, Senior Center Manager Chyrel Moore Colin Smith Absent Sydney Galla Lucy Jochaniewicz Michael Bauer Jennifer Borrell Christopher Hong Afroz Hafeez Ava McQuade Riley Phillips Taryn Gombar III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Minutes from September 19, 2024 A motion was made by Commissioner Hong to approve the minutes of the September 19, 2024 meeting, seconded by Commissioner Moore and approved by unanimous consent. IV. REPORTS A. Library 1 Page 3 of 6 Chair Son mentioned that she should have visited all the schools at least once in September for Tinker Days in the library and encouraged the Commissioners to visit the schools if they have the opportunity. She also noted that practice exams for the ACT and SAT are available. While the ACT exam has already taken place, the SAT practice exam is coming up. Students are encouraged to reach out for assistance if they wish to practice for the exam. For those needing service hours, the library's Teen Advisory Board is hosting a project on Sunday, October 20th, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. in the Cardinal Room, where participants will make blankets for pets at a local shelter. No sign-up is required to attend. B. Park District Commissioner Healy provided an update on the fall special events. Harvest Fest was held a few weeks ago, and Teen Night will take place soon. Though it's called "Teen Night," the event is actually for preteens—5th to 8th graders—with about 100 kids enrolled. On Sunday, the Pumpkin Splash event will be held for younger children. The popular Trunk or Treat event at Pioneer Park will take place, drawing a large crowd and in need of volunteers. The Park District is in full swing with fall activities, and even more events are on the way, including exciting collaborations with the library. Upcoming highlights include the Teen Job Fair and Preschool Information Night, set for February 5. C. Police Department No report. D. Schools Commissioner Moore reported that everything is progressing smoothly and they are excited about Halloween. She mentioned that students in grades 3 through 6 are currently taking a state survey, which asks them about their thoughts and feelings on school, how they manage tasks, and whether they are kind to others. The survey responses range from "never" to "frequently." She noted that it is always interesting to see how the students respond. E. Members at Large Commissioner Smith from St. Viator High reported that this week has been a short one for him, with just two days in school. He mentioned that there were three days off this week—Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Although Wednesday was a testing day, school let out early at 10:30. He also noted that Homecoming went well. Commissioner Hong from Buffalo Grove High School reported that Homecoming went smoothly last month. He mentioned that the construction on the school is gradually nearing completion, though it's not quite finished yet. The artificial grass hasn't been installed outside, and work on the tennis courts is still ongoing, with completion expected to take some time. He also noted that the juniors recently took a practice test for the pre- ACT, and teachers are increasingly incorporating ACT prep into their curriculum. Other than that, things are continuing as usual at the school. Commissioner Bauer from Rolling Meadows High School reported that, as a senior, standardized test prep is no longer part of the curriculum for him. He mentioned that Homecoming, which took place three weekends ago, went well. Now, most fall sports are wrapping up, and the past few days have been particularly cold. He noted that the Rolling 2 Page 4 of 6  Meadows football team has been performing better than last year, but loss their Homecoming game against Prospect High School. He also shared that security measures at the school have been increased. Security guards are now making rounds after school, checking classrooms to ensure students are where they’re supposed to be and asking about the whereabouts of any adults. He mentioned that one of the guards remarked this level of vigilance is higher than in previous years. In addition, Commissioner Bauer mentioned that the fall play is about to open in 45 minutes. He works on the lighting for the production, and luckily most of the setup is done before the show starts. The play, Mary's Wedding, is actually the theater director's master's thesis and is a story set during wartime. Commissioner McQuade from Hersey High School reported that while the Hersey football team lost to Prospect, Homecoming was a fun event, with students enjoying the pre- parties, the dance, and the after parties. She noted that fall sports are winding down, with flag football having a strong performance in regionals and many sports now entering their conference series. Cross country and swim will begin their conference competitions on Saturday, marking the start of the postseason push toward sectionals, regionals, and state. Commissioner McQuade is also looking forward to the fall musical, Grease, and plans to attend to support friends in the cast. Additionally, she provided an update on the district-wide JROTC program, which includes students from St. Viator, Palatine, and other District 214 schools. She mentioned the recent awards night, where students were recognized for achievements, advancements, and success in winter competitions. Despite the long hours of standing in formation, Commissioner McQuade found it rewarding to see the students' hard work celebrated. Commissioner Galla from Prospect High School reported that the school is going well. Recently, they held a single-night event where juniors and seniors discussed ways to improve the Prospect community, with the latest topic focusing on "extraordinary" efforts to make a positive impact. V. OLD BUSINESS A. Fall/Winter Project Chair Son shared an update from the previous meeting, presenting a list of organizations the Commission plans to collaborate with for their upcoming drive. These organizations include Good Neighbors Network, Feed My Starving Children, Lemons of Love, The Knight Ministry, and Journeys. She provided an overview of each organization and the events they host. After discussion, the Commission voted to prioritize two initiatives: the Birthday Gift Pantry in partnership with Good Neighbors Network and the Holiday Care Packages through Lemons of Love. B. 2024 Voting Awareness Project Chair Son reported that the Commission had discussed creating a flyer to raise voter awareness. However, she found that the library already has a flyer available for distribution to schools. This flyer is part of an initiative by the Library Association in collaboration with Vote411, designed to help teens learn how to register to vote and find polling places. The program includes a flyer, bookmarks, and a QR code linking to the website. Chair Son distributed the flyer to the Commissioners and will also email it to them. 3 Page 5 of 6  Commissioner Bauer reported that the League of Women Voters would be setting up a mock voting station at Rolling Meadows High School. Chair Son asked Commissioner Bauer to gather any updates on how the event went, so the Commission could use the information to prepare for the next election. C. Snow Shoveling Referral Program Tracey Colagrossi, Senior Center Manager, introduced herself and shared some background information. She highlighted her role on the Senior Citizens' Commission and explained how a collaborative effort between the Youth Commission, Senior Citizens’ Commission, and the Commission for Citizens with Disabilities led to the creation of the Snow Shoveling Referral Program. This initiative pairs students with seniors and individuals with disabilities to help clear snow from their driveways and walkways. She explained that she is attending the meeting to answer any questions. At this time of year, she is focused on getting students added to the list. Her goal is to have a solid list ready to send out to residents by November 1. As more students sign up, she will provide updated lists. She also mentioned that most students charge $15 per hour, and residents contact the students directly. There are over 300 seniors in need of this service, but only around 39 snow shovelers available. The Youth Commissioners and Ms. Colagrossi discussed what information should be provided to seniors after youth sign up. After careful consideration, it was decided that seniors would receive a list with each youth's first name, email address, cell phone number, and the nearest public school. This will help seniors select students who live nearby. Additionally, it was agreed that there should be a disclaimer for the youth during the sign-up process, informing them that their contact information will be shared with the seniors. For the seniors, suggestions on the best ways to contact the teens should also be included. VI. NEW BUSINESS A. Teen Job Fair Tabled until next meeting. VII. OTHER BUSINESS A. Announcements / Correspondence None. VIII. PUBLIC COMMENT None IX. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner McQuade, seconded by Commissioner Galla, moved to adjourn at 7:06 p.m. all concurred and the motion carried unanimously. 4 Page 6 of 6