Airdrie City council voted on May 15 to revamp and enhance the municipality’s youth initiatives that have been in place for several years.
As a result of council’s approved motion on Monday, the Airdrie Youth Board of Affairs (ABYA) and the Mayor for a Day Challenge are set to undergo significant changes this year, aimed at maximizing their impact on the city's youth.
Upon review, it became evident these youth-led initiatives were indeed valuable in providing opportunities for young residents of Airdrie, according to the staff report submitted in the agenda for the May 15 meeting. However, City administration also felt the need to refine and strengthen these programs to better align them with council’s objectives.
According to the staff report, the first suggested improvement was to formalize and reinforce ABYA's governance structure to establish a stronger relationship between the board and City council.
ABYA will continue to be a vital stakeholder in the decision-making process, the report stated, ensuring the interests and voices of Airdrie’s youth are represented effectively.
This step aims to empower ABYA to make substantial improvements to its initiatives and foster a greater sense of ownership among members. City administration plans to share an update on ABYA’s new look in the second quarter of 2024.
During the meeting, Coun. Tina Petrow expressed her excitement about the proposed changes.
“I always wanted to hear from [ABYA] far more than we do and have that back-and-forth conversation,” she said. “It’s great to see how we are evolving with ABYA.”
In the case of the popular Mayor for a Day Challenge, the City’s report suggested an emphasis should be placed on enhancing the educational experience for the top-three selected applicants. Although only one winner a year will remain, by providing aspiring young leaders with a more comprehensive learning opportunity, all three of the finalists will gain valuable insights into local governance and civic responsibilities.
In addition, the updated application guidelines for 2024 will specify that the applicants’ proposed projects should be a one-time endeavour, with a maximum budget of $10,000 or less. This change aims to encourage applicants to think creatively and maximize their impact while adhering to financial constraints.
The Mayor for a Day Challenge began in 2012, with the intention of engaging Airdrie’s youth to share ideas on how to make Airdrie a better place to live. The contest provides Grade 6 students – who learn about government through their social studies curriculum – an opportunity to learn how the City functions, specifically the project planning process and the role of municipal governments.
Working with their teachers, Grade 6 students across Airdrie submit their applications on initiatives to help improve their city, and each local school is allotted three applications every year.
At the end, ABYA reps vote on the three finalists, who then present their proposals to City council. The top selected candidate is later named the ‘Mayor for a Day.’
Not only is the winner’s project pursued actively by the City, but they also get to shadow Mayor Peter Brown for a day, and even get to chair a few minutes of a council meeting from the mayor’s seat.
Like Petrow, Coun. Ron Chapman also said he’s excited about the forthcoming changes to ABYA and the Mayor for a Day Challenge.
“I think that the $10,000 pilot budget is a great idea,” he said. “I think some of the students will be super happy if they had this, it gets approved and they can see it down the road and say ‘That was my idea’.”
These changes reflect City council's commitment to continuously be improving the municipality’s youth-led initiatives. By strengthening the foundation of ABYA and refining the Mayor for a Day Challenge, the City hopes to empower young residents, foster their leadership skills and promote active civic engagement.
The implementation of these changes is expected to begin in the coming months, according to the staff report, following a collaborative process involving ABYA members, and City council representatives.
—With files from Cassie Hearn/Airdrie City View
