In some ways, the new subcommittee of the city’s Clean Community Commission is like any other advisory body.
It met recently in the city parks administrative building. Leaders kept things moving through its agenda, presentations and reports. But all of the members, including their chairs, are high school students.
Grace Sladki, 17, explained a community service project to collect data and ultimately fight food waste.
“What we’re doing is we're taking all that food that was thrown away and we’re going to try and repurpose it,” the Bayside High School senior said.
This led to a discussion that touched on issues such as SNAP benefits and finding ways to use cafeteria food that otherwise might be discarded.
The Student Leaders Committee has met only twice but has volunteered and discussed how to address environmental concerns and limit waste. It falls under the city’s Clean Community Commission.
The committee is part of Virginia Beach's effort to involve students in public life. Students have served on advisory groups for years, though the city has expanded opportunities over the past several years.
Now, 13 groups have students in about 30 positions, not including on subcommittees.
Several advisory groups now have two student spots, while the Bayfront Advisory Commission has room for five. The Historic Preservation Commission has two students who also co-chair a student leaders group with 15.
Walter Camp was vice chairperson of a committee that recommended increasing opportunities for students. He said it’s impressive that the Clean Community Commission group has gained so much interest for a student-led group.
Terry Stevens, chair of the commission, was looking for adults when she spoke with Terri Chelius in the city clerk’s office this year about applicants.
Chelius is the chief deputy city clerk and oversees the City Council’s board and commission program. Chelius mentioned a number of students had applied.
“I read every single one of the applications, and some of them were like – they’ve worked harder on their applications than some of the adults,” Chelius said.
Stevens said, “We had so many students who wanted to join us, it made sense to start a student leaders committee.”
More than 40 signed on.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity, not just for those students but for our city because they have some great ideas,” Stevens said.
Ocean Lakes High School junior Anna Orchard-Hays and senior Miles Pullman, the two student members of the Clean Community Commission, chair the student leaders group.
They are in the school district's environmental studies program and are interested in efforts such as cleanups and recycling.
“I feel that young people really contribute to our future,” Orchard-Hays said. “And I think everybody has really good ideas and I was really excited about what ideas we could hear from everybody.”
Pullman said, “It allows for everyone to learn from each other and then just make better communities at every school and then that spreads to the area around every school.”
City Councilmember Jennifer Rouse spoke with the student leaders at the meeting.
“This is only the beginning of what you all are going to do as you follow whatever path you choose to,” Rouse told them.
A report during the November meeting described how students volunteered during a recent clothing swap that provided donated clothes to families. The subcommittee is already sharing more opportunities to volunteer and members want to meet more frequently than every other month.
“There’s a lot happening in the city,” Pullman said to the group. “You can miss a lot over two months.”
