Youth in Planning Committee Update

Gwen Rousseau, AICP, Steve Butler, FAICP, and Stephanie Velasco - Youth in Planning Committee Co-Chairs

The Youth in Planning Task Force has been involved with educating youth about the importance of planning and community engagement. As part of its efforts, the Task Force commissioned Washington, By and By, an educational graphic novel about community planning that illustrates how empowered teens can engage and shape the future of their state. 

The Task Force has been in existence since 2007 as an “ad hoc” committee of the American Planning Association-Washington Chapter, so a proposal has been made to make the Youth in Planning Task Force a permanent “Standing Committee.“ This action will involve a change to the Chapter’s Bylaws. This type of bylaws amendment is required to be published in this newsletter, with Chapter members being asked for their comments, at least 30 days before the Chapter’s Board of Directors can take action on it.

Specifically, the proposed amendment would change the APA-Washington State Chapter Bylaws’ Section 5.2 “Committees: Standing Committees” by adding the following language:

12. Youth in Planning Committee: The Youth in Planning Committee shall work to educate youth across the state about planning issues and inspire themto engage in planning processes, build professional planners’ capacity to engage youth in planning initiatives occurring in their communities, and broaden teacher awareness of the benefits of using planning concepts and projects as conduits of learning.

Please contact Chapter President Nancy Eklund or any other member of the APA-WA Board of Directors if you have any comments about the proposed Bylaws amendment.

If you would like to learn more about the Youth in Planning Task Force’s work, please go to the Youth in Planning webpage or contact the Task Force Co-Chairs Gwen Rousseau ([email protected]), Steve Butler ([email protected]), and Stephanie Velasco ([email protected]).