Youth Commission

AGENDA Commissions Room Arlington Heights Village Hall, 33 S. Arlington Heights Rd., AH 60005 May 15, 2025 6:00 PM I. CALL TO ORDER A. Welcome Commissioners Georgakopoulas and Patel II. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. February 20, 2025 Minutes IV. REPORTS A. Library B. Park District C. Police Department D. Schools E. Members at Large V. OLD BUSINESS A. Lawn Mowing Referral Program The Commission will discus promotion of this program. B. 2026-2027 Strategic Priorities for Village of Arlington Heights C. Teen Job Fair The Commission will discuss any feedback or insights from the 2025 Teen Job Fair. D. Social Media Proposal Commissioners McQuade and Smith will present on their proposal for a social media presence for the Youth Commission. VI. NEW BUSINESS VII. OTHER BUSINESS A. Announcements / Correspondence Page 1 of 7  B. Honoring the service of Commissioners Bauer, Jochaniewicz, Moore and Village Liaison, James McCalister VIII. PUBLIC COMMENT 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 the Health & Human Services Department, at 33 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005, healthmail@vah.com or 847/368-5760. Page 2 of 7  Minutes Youth Commission Arlington Ridge Center 660 N. Ridge Ave. February 20, 2025 6:00 PM I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Son called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. All stood for the Pledge of Allegiance. II. ROLL CALL Present Also Present Alice Son, Chair James McCalister, Liaison Matt Healy Kimberly Witt, Administrative Assistant Taryn Holdman Alejandria Galarza, Arlington Heights Memorial Library Afroz Hafeez Absent Jennifer Borrel Chyrel Moore Lucy Jochaniewicz Michael Bauer Colin Smith Riley Phillips Sydney Galla Christopher Wong Ava McQuade Chair Son introduced Alejandria Galarza, the Teen Librarian at Arlington Heights Memorial Library. Ms. Galarza is attending the meeting to assist in discussing the Teen Job Fair. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Minutes from January 16, 2025 A motion was made by Commissioner Hong to approve the minutes of the January 16, 2025 meeting, seconded by Commissioner Smith and approved by unanimous consent. 1 Page 3 of 7 IV. REPORTS A. Library Chair Son reported that preparations are underway for the Teen Job Fair on March 4, along with the How to Get a Job Workshop scheduled for the evening of Monday, February 24. The workshop will feature real supervisors conducting mock interviews and offering guidance on interview techniques and resume writing. With only two slots remaining, the program continues to be highly popular and is also included on the Teen Job Fair flyer. Additionally, the library has begun planning its summer programs, including the Summer Reading initiative. Guest Alejandria Galarza reported that the Library recently held its practice ACT pre- testing last weekend and will soon offer practice SAT pre-testing. B. Park District Commissioner Healy reported that their recent teen event, held a couple of weeks ago, had an attendance of 75 to 80 teens. They also hosted the library’s Preschool and Child Care Information Night. The Park District supervisors collaborated with the Police Department, which provided staff training. Next week, the Park Board is set to officially approve the budget for renovations at the Arlington Ridge Center. Planned renovations include updates to the locker rooms and an addition to the building. Additionally, the rec park is undergoing improvements, including updated playgrounds, a renovated tennis court, and the addition of a skate park. On Monday, the Board is expected to approve the budget to move forward with renovating the pool, the original rec building, and constructing a new pool entrance/shower house. Commissioner Healy also discussed the upcoming Teen Job Fair with supervisors from athletics, aquatics, summer camps, and the CAP program. They are eager to recruit teen employees for upcoming open positions. This year marks the Park District’s 100th anniversary. They will kick off the celebration with a major event at Picnic in the Park this May and have various events planned throughout the year to commemorate the milestone. C. Police Department Commissioner Holdman report that the Police Department remains very busy and upcoming training sessions are scheduled for the officers. D. Schools No report. E. Members at Large 2 Page 4 of 7  Commissioner Gala from Prospect High School reported that the school recently celebrated the 5th birthday of their mascot, Sir Kensington. The student section cheered "Happy Birthday" as students arrived, and the celebration continued with cake served at lunch and games throughout the day. She announced that open gym for Lacrosse has begun, along with open gym for all students. Commissioners Jochaniewicz and Smith from St. Viator High School reported that spring sports will begin in two weeks, and tonight is registration night for incoming freshmen. It was also announced that Commissioner Jochaniewicz is this year’s valedictorian. A big congratulations to Commissioner Jochaniewicz on this outstanding achievement! Commissioner McQuade from Hersey High School reported that juniors are receiving numerous "So You Want to Go to College" presentations and guidance on writing their résumés. Sports are wrapping up, with the first indoor track meet held this past Tuesday. Meanwhile, spring sports are ramping up with official practices underway. Construction at the school continues, focusing on creating more open spaces for students to gather and redesigning office spaces. While the completion date is uncertain, she believes it may be finished by May. Commissioner Hong from Buffalo Grove High School reported that there isn't much happening at the moment. Last month, they completed the verification of courses for the upcoming school year. Preparations are underway for the ACT and pre-ACT exams for sophomores. Sports are starting up, with numerous open gyms taking place. The first track meet was held today. V. OLD BUSINESS A. Snow Shoveling Referral Program Chair Son distributed a packet to the Commissioners, which included the Snow Shoveling Referral Program flyer, along with several other flyers. She reported that the program has been doing well, especially compared to previous years. Chair Son reminded the Commissioners that with snow currently on the ground, there are more opportunities for teens, and encouraged them to continue promoting the program. B. Teen Job Fair Chair Son reported that 16 businesses are signed up for the Job Fair, with most being repeat participants. This year, there are also new additions, the City of Support Store and Kiddie Academy. There is still space to invite more businesses, and while they don't have to be based in Arlington Heights, they should be in surrounding areas that are accessible to teens and appealing to them as potential employers. The food service industry is a good target, as they frequently hire teens. It was suggested that someone also reach out to Target, as well as local golf courses for caddying and grounds crew opportunities. Chair Son noted that just under a hundred teens have registered so far. While registration is recommended, it is not required, and in past years, more attendees have shown up than those who registered, often due to word of mouth and teens bringing friends and family. Chair Son highlighted key considerations for the upcoming Job Fair. Successful elements from last year included providing a map checklist of businesses, organizing the layout effectively, and setting up a separate parents' lounge outside the main room. This arrangement allowed refreshments to be served while giving teens the opportunity to explore businesses and conduct interviews independently. The raffle, introduced for the first-time last year, was a great incentive for teens to engage with businesses at the fair. During last year’s debrief, it was suggested that raffles be 3 Page 5 of 7  drawn throughout the event rather than only at the end, as many teens were waiting until the conclusion to check if they had won. Additionally, the QR code will not be used this year for raffle registration, and it was decided that gift cards would be the best prize option. Other key takeaways from the debrief included the need for a larger Welcome Desk and the potential use of a microphone to improve communication. Commissioner Gala will also be dressed in costume for the Job Fair. The Commission toured the area and returned to discuss the details. They decided that the Welcome Desk should be positioned further from the door and expanded to 3 or 4 tables, instead of 2, with the tables spaced out. Each table will be labeled with a number. A Commissioner will be stationed at the Welcome Desk to greet and direct teens to a table. Commissioners at the desk will also provide a map of the Job Fair and explain the layout. It was agreed to keep the parents' lounge outside of the Job Fair, as it was last year, to encourage teens to explore independently. Setup for businesses begins at 5:00 pm, so if Commissioners are available to start at that time, it would be appreciated. C. 2026-2027 Strategic Priorities for VAH Chair Son explained that the Commission will be providing feedback for the Village’s Strategic Plan for the next two years. She clarified that their suggestions will be reviewed by the Village Board and considered when setting the Village’s goals. Commissioner McQuade suggested that with a new Mayor coming into town, it would be beneficial for the Mayor to attend a meeting to meet the Youth Commissioners and share their ideas, particularly regarding teens in the community. Chair Son then asked the Commissioners to review the memo that was sent to them and begin thinking about what feedback they want to provide to the Village Board. VI. NEW BUSINESS VII. OTHER BUSINESS A. Announcements / Correspondence Commissioner Projects – Commissioner McQuade and Commissioner Smith proposed the idea of creating an Instagram account for the Youth Commission, as it would be a more effective medium for reaching the younger generation. They suggested two options for managing the account: having a Village staff member run it with posts provided by the Youth Commission, or having one Commissioner manage it and pass the responsibility on to another when they graduate. They have prepared a PowerPoint presentation, which will be on the agenda for the next meeting. They believe social media, particularly Instagram, will be more effective for engaging their target audience because, in their experience, teens are more likely to be on their phones looking at social media rather than noticing physical flyers posted in hallways. Additionally, Instagram’s geotagging feature increases the likelihood that posts will reach the teens, and reposting can further expand the account’s reach. Open Meetings Act – Chair Son reported that in the last meeting, she mentioned that two people can work together without violating the Open Meetings Act. She later learned that, due to the size of the Youth Commission, three people can work together and still comply with the Open Meetings Act. This also applies to email, meaning only 3 people can be on an email together without violating Act. VIII. PUBLIC COMMENT 4 Page 6 of 7  None IX. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner McQuade, seconded by Commissioner Hafeez, moved to adjourn at 7:23 p.m. all concurred and the motion carried unanimously. The next meeting will be held on March 20, 2025 at Village Hall, Commissions Room. 5 Page 7 of 7