The Homestead Mayor’s Youth Council served as ambassadors to a group of 45 Key Club International members from across the country and the globe. Youth Council Mayor Anthony Garcia led the meeting between the two groups, providing a brief overview of Homestead’s history and plan for the future, before facilitating the exchange of ideas in small groups.
“This is a really exciting time to be in Homestead,” said Garcia during his presentation on Homestead and the revitalization of its Historic Downtown. “There’s a lot of history in our city that we’re proud of, but there are also so many projects underway that are making Homestead a more vibrant community. It’s cool that we’re all going to get to look back and say we were part of making this happen.”
Youth Council Mayor Garcia also spoke about some of the projects the Youth Council has participated in and their future plans to visit San Francisco, California during their annual trip. Key Club members, in turn, explained some of the activities they participate in. The groups then broke out in small group sessions to discuss in detail more of what each group was interested in and planning for the future. The meeting concluded with a tour of City Hall and Downtown Homestead.
Some Key Club members expressed enthusiasm about starting their own version of the Mayor’s Youth Council at home. “I see what these members have been able to accomplish and learn and it’s really encouraging,” said one representative. “I’d love to see more people this engaged with my community at home.”
Key Club is an international, student-led organization that provides its members with opportunities to provide service, build character and develop leadership. Key Club aims to cooperate with school principals and teachers to provide high school students with invaluable experience in living and working together and to prepare them for useful citizenship. Its members develop initiative and leadership skills by serving their schools and communities.
The purpose of the Mayor’s Youth Council is to complement academic studies by increasing the students’ knowledge, voice, communication, and involving them in practical hands on experiences to promote volunteerism among both youth and adults in civic education and affairs. The group is led by Homestead Councilwoman Patricia Fairclough, who mentors and guides the members to become more civically engaged. Learn more at www.cityofhomestead.com/youthcouncil.