This year marks 30 years of the City’s Junior Council Program, the largest leadership program of its kind in south-east Queensland.
Mayor Tom Tate said the inaugural 1993 Junior Council involved 17 students representing nine Gold Coast schools. Today, it involves 120 students and 30 local schools.
“We’ve had 2,300 students involved in the program. It was an honour to attend the 30-year anniversary breakfast today to meet with some of them,” Mayor Tate said.
“We commemorated the anniversary by sealing some items in a time capsule to be opened in a decade’s time.”
Guest speakers at today’s event included program founders, Heather and Ian Yarker. The inaugural Junior Mayor from 1993 was Evan Stubbs (unable to attend).
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Junior Council is a City program for young people within our community. Council staff work with local schools (and a network of more than 200 community and private organisations) to support young people including youth hubs, Active and Healthy and NaturallyGC programs.
This two-year civic leadership program is aimed at students in Years 10 and 11 from Gold Coast high schools. It provides a unique opportunity for young people to learn about the role of local government and develop skills to become confident leaders.
In addition to quarterly meetings, the program offers opportunities for students to volunteer, participate in workshops, meet government leaders and participate in signature events such as the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
