The county-wide Frederick Youth Council ensures that young people in our community have a voice in the planning and programming designed for their benefit. The Frederick Youth Council will have the authority to disburse certain funds into the community, engage with and provide counsel to the Collaborative’s members and local government agencies and provide input on young and emerging adult-focused initiatives and programming.
The Frederick Youth Council is for young and emerging adults ages 12 to 24 (at the time of their appointment) that are Frederick County Residents, and that complete the application and various forms required for all council members.
At most, the Council will have 15 Voting participants and up to 5 Non-Voting participants. Non-Voting Members must be former members of the Youth Council.
The Frederick Youth Council terms begin in September each year. The Frederick Youth Council will meet monthly for a maximum of two hours, either virtually or in-person, as per its Charter for regular meetings, and will have additional (elective) volunteer opportunities.
Each middle and high school in Frederick County has a teacher-coordinator facilitating community service activities. Students interested in accumulating additional SSL hours or earning hours required for graduation through the Peer and Community Engagement Experience course should connect with their school’s coordinator. Being a member of the Youth Council is not a volunteer opportunity since members are paid stipends. However, other volunteer opportunities will be made available to Youth Council members.
Frederick Youth Council members will be able to assist with the creation of youth-oriented programming, influence county-wide legislation that impacts youth, support and uplift peers through mentoring, and positively impact Frederick County through volunteer and granting efforts. In addition, the Frederick Youth Council will be tasked with the following:
Get an insight about what the Youth Council has done in their 2024 July Newsletter.
Yes, a member of the Frederick Youth Council can stay beyond one term. Our members can serve two-year terms. However after serving one term, a Youth Council member must take a gap year before reapplying for a second two-year term.
During the gap year or after serving a two-year term, a Youth Council member can apply to be a part of the Non-Voting Advisory Council. This is a group of 2-5 former Youth Council members that serve for one year terms on the Council. Their role is to provide insight, knowledge, and assistance to newer Youth Council members.
Refer to the Youth Council Charter for more information.
While we ask members to commit to a 24-month term, we understand that unexpected things may happen, and you may need to take time off away from your Frederick Youth Council duties. We will work with you to provide support and guidance on finding workable options.
Frederick Youth Council members will be paid a stipend in accordance with their attendance at regular meetings. Youth will not be compensated for volunteer activities that they do with the Frederick Youth Council. The payment amount will be within the threshold to ensure participants do not have to receive a 1099. For the fiscal year of 2024 that amount was $40/meeting.
Advisory Youth Council Members will be paid half of the regular Youth Council stipends per meeting.
Applications for the Frederick Youth Council will open in June each year. Interviews will be conducted in late July and the beginning of August. New Youth Council Members will be seated and attend their first meeting in the month of September.
The application and interview process are designed to get a full picture of who each candidate is and the talents and ideas they will bring to the Frederick Youth Council. Questions are designed to: (1) Gain an understanding of each candidate’s unique perspective about how to serve Frederick County’s young and emerging adults; and (2) Learn about the individual strengths of each candidate.
Check out the 2024 Youth Council Interview Prep Sheet here.
While no specific background experience is required, Frederick Youth Council members are selected to ensure the group contains members with diverse skillsets and experiences, a passion for helping the community, and an interest in providing a youth voice to the community.
For emerging adults over the age of 18, these individuals are eligible for the RUN (Ride United Network) Program with United Way. This program offers free or discounted transportation assistance to ALICE households available through Lyft rideshare for riders 18 and older, or if under 18, with an accompanying adult. Lyft rideshare does require a payment method on file for an account. Challenges such as longer wait times or higher costs may occur for trips to and from rural locations. The distribution of rideshare coupon codes can be completed by Landen Lombardo at United Way of Frederick County or by an organization that hosts the Frederick Youth Council. For those who need transportation assistance that are under 18, if an organization supports these rides, they could become a Ride United Network Ride Provider (receiving reimbursements for those rides).
Thank you for empowering your young and/or emerging adult to participate in the activities of the Frederick Youth Council. The Council has a significant role to play in providing learning, leadership and voluntarism skills for your young person. The Frederick Youth Council will be youth-led, starting from their first meeting. As a parent, we ask that you support your young person in this process, by ensuring that they attend all meetings and meet all their obligations to the Frederick Youth Council. Most importantly, we encourage you to support the ideas of accountability, responsibility, community advocacy, and self-empowerment.