High School students had the chance to peek behind the scenes of local government this past Tuesday during Pleasanton’s annual Youth in Government Day. Thirty-one students grades nine through 12 from Foothill, Amador Valley and Village high schools took part in candid discussions about the role of youths in Pleasanton, job shadowed local government officials and discussed current events with City Council and School Board members. Organizing the day is a collaborative effort between the school district and the city.
“We’re very excited about getting students hooked up with people in the real world so they can connect why they learn what they do in school,” said Director of Secondary Curriculum Diane Howell, one of the lead organizers for Youth in Government Day.
Students started the day by learning about the Youth Center Master Plan and giving their input on what they’d like to see in the center.
“We are taking ideas and suggestions from students and plan on utilizing the information to implement programs in the future,” said Hiram Berhal, teen and youth services recreation supervisor for the city, who is also a lead organizer for Youth and Government Day.
After the meeting, students shadowed government officials while on the job. Before the actual day of the event, students listed the jobs they were most interested in following. Mayor and city manager are usually the most popular picks, but students also follow directors of the different city departments, as well as public service officers in the police and fire departments.
“I definitely learned a lot from Dr. Casey about what it takes to be a leader,” said Foothill sophomore Christine Chen who shadowed Superintendent John Casey along with Amador sophomore Genevieve Hoffman. Hoffman added, “We learned how, as a leader, you interact with people to bring out their best.” Both students followed Casey as he visited Hearst Elementary School and reviewed the dual immersion program at Valley View Elementary School, which was “awesome” Chen said.
During lunch, which was catered by the Village High School Café, students had the chance to speak more casually with city officials, using the opportunity to find out how officials chose careers in public service and what it takes to succeed on that path. Students had the chance to meet and speak with Trustees Steve Pulido, Pat Kernan and Kris Weaver and City Council members Jerry Thorne, Cindy McGovern and Steve Brozosky, and many other city and school officials.
“It’s a challenge to be a policy maker,” said Mayor Jennifer Hosterman as she addressed the students during lunch. “It’s our awesome responsibility, and opportunity, to shape the community with the input of all of you.” She went on to encourage the students to consider careers in public service and hoped their experiences during the day would show them if it is the right path for them.
While the day is designed to give students insight into possible careers, it is also an opportunity for city and school officials to get youth input on current events and city issues. After lunch, students broke into four groups where they discussed diversity, teen issues and careers and then reported their conclusions back to the rest of the group. The discussion topics were suggested by students ahead of time and then city officials chose the top three suggestions. By discussing issues important to them, students have the opportunity to learn about other viewpoints and explore their own opinions. It is also a chance for city and school officials to find out what is on teens’ minds.
“Certainly we want students to be able to have their clear interest (in government) enhanced by meeting with job shadows, but another important part of the day is getting their input and feedback into issues and solutions to issues related to youths,” Berhal said.
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