The Hampton Youth Commission, sometimes referred to as the HYC, is an organization in Hampton famously known for the achievements it has acquired for the youth community. It plays an important role for the voices of young people to be heard within the government.
“The Hampton Youth Commission is a group of teenagers from Hampton who act as liaisons between the youth and the City Council to add their input and advocate for the youth,” member Zoraya Meier, a Bethel sophomore stated. “It focuses more on the youth in Hampton to make it more inclusive.”
Members of the Hampton Youth Commission perform several roles. While they collaborate on projects, they also reach out to youth in the community for input and ideas.
“We are generally broken into two sections: Youth Voice and Community Participation Committee,” vice chair Stephanie Adejayan, a Bethel senior, shared. “The Community Participation Committee works with the community.”
To engage more with the community, the Hampton Youth Commission hosts a lot of events. The aim of these events is to connect youth to local leaders.
“We recently hosted our candidates forum, in which we rebranded to a Candidates Prom,” Holden explained. “This is a place in which youth in Hampton are given a space to connect with their local election candidates.”
Community participation is central to HYC. To share youth voices, members have to first take time to connect with Hampton teens.
“We give out grants, we plan events,” Adejayan elaborated. “We work in conjunction with a lot of the different parties in Hampton to sort of get the students’ voices communicated.”
The only prerequisite for joining the commission is age: you need to be between 13 – 18 years old to participate.
“The need for this commission is to give the youth a voice and include them in government matters,” Meier asserted.
“We are working on making some connections with middle schoolers,” Adejayan added. “We’re not quite there yet. I personally joined when I was 13.”
Being in this organization provides youth with the chance to speak their minds.
“The commission provides me with a space to share my perspectives and ideas on active issues in our city,” another vice chair Saige Holden, a Bethel sophomore, reflected. “When you have great ideas for improving your community and city, you have the ability to collaborate with like-minded people to expand your ideas and bring them to fruition.”
While meeting and collaborating with other youth, members foster valuable skills and network.
“When I first joined I was really shy, I didn’t have much public speaking skills,” Adejayan reflected. “But being in Hampton Youth Commission, you build a lot of strong bonds, you learn to advocate for yourself and others, and be a leader. Another thing is you just meet a lot of people in areas you want to go into.”
Furthermore, being part of the HYC can help you serve your community and build your resume for college applications.
“There are many benefits of being in this commission, including gaining leadership, communication, and collaboration skills,” Meier commented. “Additionally, you can gain volunteer and community service hours, as well as develop relationships with people around Hampton.”
The Hampton Youth Commission provides opportunity, but most importantly, it provides an open forum for meeting people, listening to other opinions, and keeping yourself informed. Many consider it exactly the kind of safe space that seems to be in short supply these days.
Interested in joining HYC? Just ask for an application from one of the members, or fill out their application online.
