Now more than ever, it’s essential for young people to stay politically informed and civically involved. And for the Youth Council of AD 50 (that’s our State Assembly district!), they’re going above and beyond — and are currently finalists in the Mayoral Service Impact Awards’ Youth Impact Award category for their work with Voluntas Juvenium.
The Youth Council is a group of high schoolers highly engaged with improving both their school environment and the community at large. Members of the council created a local chapter Voluntas Juvenium — a larger international organization connecting students with hands-on volunteer opportunities — to better serve and make an impact in Greenpoint. It has since expanded throughout New York City and now has 900+ volunteers who have logged 10,000+ hours distributing 3,000+ meals, removing 10,000+ pounds of waste, and more.
In-school restorative justice is another major focus of the council. Inspired by a friend’s tragic passing and experience with their school’s zero-tolerance policy, the students are working to help increase help, understanding, and resources for young people who may be in trouble by drafting and proposing a Bill on Restorative Justice in education that relies less on the aforementioned traditional policies. The students define restorative justice in public schools as a process for students, teachers, faculty, and affected parties to come together to address harm caused by misconduct in hopes of repairing relationships, promoting accountability and rehabilitation, and addressing underlying issues. The bill draft is expected to be pitched to state lawmakers in the coming months.
Members of the Youth Council are hoping that a potential Youth Impact Award win for Voluntas Juvenium will help increase their support and influence among the public and government as they work to spread awareness about their bill before lobbying in Albany.
The Mayoral Service Impact Awards honor organizations, businesses, volunteers, and AmeriCorps alumni who have dedicated themselves to service, and strengthened communities with people power in the 2024 calendar year.  Awardees will receive a cash prize and recognition at the awards ceremony in April. Voting closes at midnight on March 31.
Fabulous. Well Written. You notice there was no mention of DEI, AA, CRT, gender, ex con, ethnic, sexual preference, promotion, preference, privilege.
It was united, showed equality not division.
In other words, equality, not division, preference, promotion privilege,
Paul, the politicians most often opposing restorative justice policies like these are the same who oppose DEI, affirmative action etc. These are high school students—I would be careful about the narrative you’re trying to project onto them.
Thank you for your reply. If an estimated majority of white women voting for a demagogue, predator, threat to democracy like Trump doesn’t convince you of the damage far left, woke toxic feminists have done (not the original important women’s rights movement), nothing will. Like the noble, iconic Lincoln taught us unite the middle, condemn the extremes in this case toxic Trumpers and toxic far left woke feminists. They co depend and enable each other like an alcoholic couple.
It’s so nice that Emily Gallagher didn’t have time to include herself in the photo.