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Schubart rightly advocates for youth to have more voice and agency but misses out on some vital work being done already by our youth through the Vermont State Youth Council.

Young Vermonters met at the state capitol Tuesday morning to make their voices heard on the state’s most pressing issues.

Vermont teens met with Gov. Phil Scott and lawmakers on Tuesday to push for changes in education, teen mental healthcare, and local politics.

The Vermont Legislature is debatinga billthat would set up a Youth Council to help the governor and lawmakers better understand the perspective of younger Vermonters.

If we are truly serious about how to keep our youth in Vermont or make Vermont more attractive to young people from other states, venues like this state council are essential. Hearing from youth directly and regularly is essential for policymakers to be connected enough to help make decisions that are congruent with what youth are experiencing.

A group of 28 newly appointed young leaders from across the state met to convene the first meeting of the Vermont State Youth Council. The full-day session, held at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier, brought together youth, diverse across ages, grades, genders, lived experiences, policy interests and other characteristics.

“I wanted to get on the council because I wanted to be the change that people wanted to see in the community and to help people that needed help,” Grace, who is in 5th grade at Samuel Morey Elementary School in Fairlee, said in a phone interview.

“We are representatives for all the youth so I've been telling the youth at my school if they have any ideas, they should bring it to me and I can try to make their ideas happen. I've been taught that, if you really set your mind to it and you're really determined and diligent about something, you can basically get anything done, especially if you're really passionate about it.”

Vermont’s youth will inherit the state and with it these crises. If we are to solve the issues that will most heavily impact our youth, we need to listen to the only people who know what it is like to be young today.