- Omaha's mayor is revamping the Youth Council to create a two-way line of communication between students and city officials, with every high school in the city represented.
- Students will meet monthly with local leaders starting in August, with the program running through next May and ending with a final presentation from council members.
- Rising Omaha Northwest junior Ta'Miyah Wright plans to use her seat on the council to elevate conversations around mental health in the North Omaha community.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. announced plans to revamp the city's Youth Council as the city works to address ongoing brain drain concerns by engaging young residents in local government.
Every high school in the city will be represented in the group, which begins meeting in August. Students will meet once a month with local leaders. The program runs through next May and ends with a final presentation from Youth Council members.
Ta'Miyah Wright, a rising junior at Omaha Northwest High School, is one of the students selected for the council. She said the opportunity gives a voice to those underrepresented in her community.
"I can make a change greater than just myself and my school, but community, and statewide, nationwide," Wright said.
Wright said she plans to prioritize mental health as one of her focus areas.
"I feel like mental health is a huge struggle in North Omaha specifically with the huge African-American population. I feel like not a lot of people talk about it, and many African Americans struggle with it," Wright said.
Mayor Ewing said the council is designed to open a direct line of communication between young residents and city officials.
"I want our youth to hear and see that we value their ideas and are providing a mechanism through this council for a two-way street on communication with city officials starting with me," Ewing said.
Racquel Henderson, the community liaison for North Omaha, said the goal is for students to leave with a stronger sense of confidence, an understanding of leadership, and the ability to serve their community.
"We want them to understand that they are leaders now," Henderson said.
Henderson said the council received around 200 applicants.
Wright said she proudly told everyone she had applied, but as time passed, fear and uncertainty crept in and she regretted telling people.
"When I found out that I got it, I was so excited, I told more people. It was just a huge accomplishment, knowing that I was able to be chosen for this council," Wright said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
