Solar powered vehicles and animal cafes. Young people present proposals to Sacramento City Council

Sacramento (July 27, 2022) Young people from throughout Sacramento Tuesday shared their ideas for improving life in the city with the Sacramento City Council.

The presentations were the culmination of Summer at City Hall (S@CH), a collaboration between the City of Sacramento and local school districts that brings 70 juniors and seniors each year for a six-week intensive civics and job skills development course. Participants learn about local government and how to become active community members. 

Students are supported throughout the program by a variety of team members, including credentialed teachers who deliver a curriculum focusing on civic engagement and job training. Students also complete a 42-hour wellness course that includes various workshop topics areas, including career exploration, financial literacy, personal mental wellness, and resume development. More than 1,000 students have participated in Summer at City Hall since it was launched 12 years ago.

At the end of the program, groups of three or four students bring their ideas to the City Council and present them for comment, feedback and sometimes even adoption. Tuesday’s proposals included policy changes, marketing suggestions, multimedia presentations and public service announcements.

“This such an amazing opportunity for these students, to work on something all summer and then have a chance to share it with the broader public. It’s also an opportunity for us adults to see how capable and thoughtful our young people are,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg.

One example of how these presentations have a real world impact came in 2018. The S@CH students proposed a ban on plastic drinking straws in the City of Sacramento, and their ideas were eventually incorporated into a larger ordinance change to limit single-use plastics in the city. This year, the students presented on addressing domestic violence, recycling and composting, solar-powered electric vehicles, and vaccine education.

“You so represent the best of Sacramento, all of its diversity, and all of its intelligence, and the drive to do better,” said Councilmember Jay Schenirer.

In the past, internships and hands on work experience in various city departments was also included in the program. This year the program was run in a hybrid format with in person and virtual activities due to coronavirus precautions. The Summer at City Hall staff hopes to have the internship and in-person council presentation components return in 2023.

“We need more youth voices as well as perspectives in the community since we are going to be the ones running and living in the community in the future,” said Jayla B., a junior at John F. Kennedy High School during a preparation session earlier in the week.

Students interested in future classes of S@CH should look for applications to open in March. Interviews and selections are made in May. The program starts in mid-June and runs through end of July or first week of August. Learn more at http://www.cityofsacramento.org/summer-at-city-hall.

Watch all of the presentations here: