CLARKSVILLE, IN (March 16, 2022) – According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 20 percent of the Town of Clarksville’s population is under the age of 18. With that statistic in mind, Clarksville’s Town Council is working to give a more powerful voice to Clarksville’s youth. At Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting, the Council approved a resolution creating the first-ever Clarksville Youth Council.

A youth council is an advisory body composed of local youth, that provides advice and counsel to the local governing body and its affiliated regulatory boards and commissions, as well as other community organizations. The Youth Council will also be able to implement and participate in a variety of youth-identified community initiatives.

“It goes without saying that young people are the future of our community,” said Youth Council Program Coordinator Ken Conklin. “Therefore, it is vitally important that they are vested with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be the next generation of local leaders.”

Clarksville’s Youth Council will be made up of eight members, with two students from each of the following schools: Clarksville High School, Providence High School, Jeffersonville High School, and Silver Creek High School. The principals of each school will select their representatives, and each student will serve a term of one year. All students must be Juniors or Seniors, and they must be residents of Clarksville. The first representatives for the Youth Council will be selected before the end of the school year, and they will be sworn-in to office at the first Clarksville Town Council meeting in June.

Like the Town Council, the Clarksville Youth Council will hold regular meetings in the Town Council Chambers. Other local youth will be invited to attend the meeting and address the Youth Council with their concerns. The President of the Youth Council will then attend Town Council meetings as the representative of the Youth Council.

Applications for the Youth Council have been sent to the school principals and should be made available to students soon. Interested students can also download the application by clicking here. Students or parents who have questions about the program can contact program coordinator Ken Conklin at (812) 283-1423 or kconklin@townofclarksville.com.