Youth Council Celebrates Success, Seeks New Members

Mayor Cavalier Johnson signs the 2024-2025 Youth Council CDBG recommendations. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Do you know a teenager with an interest in politics, a desire to learn how government works or a keen eye for how to allocate more than $100,000 to nonprofits? The Milwaukee Youth Council is the place for them.

Youth Council members gathered with Mayor Cavalier Johnson and members of the Common Council outside Milwaukee City Hall Thursday afternoon to celebrate the completion of the program’s 20th year and a successful allocation of $130,000 to four area nonprofits.

“In targeting these funds to community organizations, the Youth Council decided to focus on areas of youth homelessness and suicide prevention,” said member Corbeau Martin Caldwell. “The process of appropriating funds, for these official recommendations, has given, as young people, indispensable experience in the processes and procedures needed to be effective policy makers.”

The Common Council approved the Youth Council’s recommendations to allocate approximately $30,000 each to Pathfinders, Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, Hmong American Friendship Association and Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center. The funding will come from a federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) reprogramming grant awarded to the city.

“Your world is much different than ours. So it’s extremely important that you’re here, so that you can assist us in understanding policies and positions from your vantage point and lens as teenagers,” said Council President José G. Pérez.

“The allocations passed this morning by the council are based upon recommendations made by the Milwaukee Youth Council and represent months of us deliberating on issues, sending requests for proposals, scoring received proposals and deciding on how to distribute limited CDBG reprogramming funds,” said Caldwell.

Samera Osman, a Youth Council member and Somali immigrant, said her time on the Youth Council has been a positive experience. “The connections I’ve made with local government officials and community members has been invaluable,” said Osman. “And witnessing the impact of our efforts has been incredibly rewarding. Overall, my time as a Milwaukee Youth Council member has been amazing.”

Members must be between the ages of 14 and 18 and live in Milwaukee or attend school in Milwaukee. Applications are accepted online.

“I know that each and every single one of these young people are engaged and cares about what’s on in our community. And I’m not just saying that to say that,” said Mayor Johnson. “I’m saying it because literally every time I turn around, the youth council is there, like seriously. It doesn’t matter where I go in the city, the Youth Council and its members are there and they’re learning and they’re active and they’re engaged and they’re giving back.”

The increased presence of the Youth Council, as Urban Milwaukee has also noticed, was aided by a summer internship program in Alderwoman Sharlen P. Moore‘s office. Approximately half of the members have spent the summer attending committee meetings, press conferences and other civic events.

City Clerk Jim Owczarski credited then-alderman Joe Davis, Sr., for the creation of the Youth Council in 2004. He praised Johnson and his predecessor, Tom Barrett for supporting the program by making some amount of CDBG funding available, regardless of how much was available, and the Common Council for never altering the Youth Council’s CDBG recommendations. And he praised the Youth Council members for dedicating their time to deliberating where the funding should go and addressing other city issues. “That’s pretty special, and it’s a great privilege to be a part of,” said Owczarski.

Youth Council meetings are scheduled to be held on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month and members serve one-year terms. Members are paid $25 per meeting, receive food and beverage at meetings and are awarded a WisGo bus pass.

2024-2025 Youth Council Members

• 1st District – Cree Ellzey
• 2nd District – Kalise Williams
• 4th District – Lucca Ricco
• 5th District – Safiyah Osman
• 7th District – Thaddeaus Hillard Jr.
• 9th District – Jacqueline Juraez Lucas
• 10th District – Owen Driscoll
• 13th District – Samera Osman
• 14th District – Edgar Hernandez
• 15th District – Svetlana Her
• Member at Large – Wy’yana Adams
• Member at Large – Corbeau Martin Caldwell

UPDATE: A typo on the final quote has been corrected.