Samo students found first SM Youth Advisory Board

Created by Samo students, the City of Santa Monica’s new Youth Advisory Board aims to give a voice to the juvenile demographic of Santa Monica. The board was officially created in May with approval from the former Santa Monica mayor, Phil Brock.

Led by Finlay Ross (’25) Anjalie Butte (’25), Ry Bardacke (’25), Naomi Altman (’25), Ethan Fitzgerald (’25) and Drew Stern (’25), the council takes the lead as the first Youth Advisory Board in Santa Monica. The group has worked with the city council to dispel issues regarding homelessness, affordable housing, environmental sustainability, crime and small businesses. Being a young advocate for the citizens has given the group a different perspective on the issues that the community faces. Ross believes that opinions and beliefs sway with age. 

“I think that demographically and statistically, it's very obvious that our generation has very different opinions than anyone older than us,” Ross said.

Working to make change while actively learning about real-world issues and historical feats is something that all Samo students have the opportunity to implement—Ross is taking it to the next level.

“Going to Samo and seeing the culture and the students all being active and learning about everything right now in their classes…is also important,” Ross said. “We are in government classes and economics classes and history and environmental science. They're all very applicable subjects to real life so we also have that knowledge to support our decisions.”

Board member Butte describes the experience as a “symbiotic relationship,” where both student and community are benefiting from each other. 

“We are learning what city government is like and the intricacies of bureaucracy, while giving back to the community—it's a learning experience,” Butte said.

The youth board gains experience from how the government operates, along with the opportunity to bridge the gap between classroom learning and civil realities. Butte describes her experience in the council as not only focusing on the political aspect of the community, but working with her interests in sustainability, civil planning and architecture, broadening her view on how Santa Monica functions. Ross says that the board serves as a “multifaceted approach to learning.” 

For the future of the board, members are hoping to familiarize themselves with the new elected city council members and further their work alongside the mayor. The board is looking forward to expanding their influence with help from the city of Santa Monica and are currently working on their pitch to the new council. 

Santa Monica’s Youth Advisory Board poses infront of the Santa Monica city hall.

Sophomore, junior and senior students interested in taking part in the Youth Advisory Board are welcome to join the next generation of youth civic leaders by applying today. The application process is ongoing, and students can obtain information regarding the application through a current member of the board or their social studies teacher. The board encourages students to inquire if there are further questions.