Youth Council expected to give a voice to Clarksville’s youngest residents.
CLARKSVILLE, IN (June 21, 2022) – For the first time in history, youth in the Town of Clarksville have an
official voice in their municipal government. During Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting, Council
President Ryan Ramsey helped swear-in the Town’s first Youth Council. The Town Council approved a
resolution in March creating the new body made up of students from Clarksville High School, Providence
High School, Silver Creek High School, and Jeffersonville High School. All students must be Clarksville
residents.
The students sworn-in included: Alondra Feng-Baez and Joel Menes Hernandez of Clarksville High
School, Eva Wheatley of Silver Creek High School, Aidan Niemi of Jeffersonville High School, and Jillian
Hinton of Providence High School. Two students were unable to make the meeting and will be sworn-in
at a later date. Those students are Abigail Hicks of Jeffersonville High School and Regan Hinton of
Providence High School. There is still an open position from Silver Creek High School which has yet to be
filled by the school.
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 youthidentified community initiatives. Clarksville Communications Director Ken Conklin is responsible for
overseeing and advising the Youth Council.
“Our goal with this program is to give our youth a voice in their local government,” said Conklin. “Any
Clarksville resident, 17 and under, will have the opportunity to address the Youth Council and share any
concerns they may have. It will then be up to the Youth Council to address those concerns or take them
to the Town Council for consideration.”
The first meeting of the Youth Council will be held in July. Council members will use that meeting to elect
their leaders, organize their priorities, and learn how meetings will run. Local youth will have their first
opportunity to address the council at their second meeting in August. Any Clarksville residents ages 17
and under who wish to address the Youth Council may contact Ken Conklin at kconklin@townofclarksville.com.
ATTACHMENT: Town Council President Ryan Ramsey swearing-in Youth Council members: (Left to Right) Eva Wheatley, Jillian Hinton, Joel Menes Hernandez, Alondra Feng-Baez, and Aidan Niemi.
