Student at MYLS event. Photo credit: Town of Apple ValleyAPPLE VALLEY – At the upcoming town council meeting, December 13, Apple Valley will consider a $500 expenditure to begin a social media presence on TikTok. This is one of the student recommendations that came out of the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Summit (MYLS), an annual event that aims to get youth involved in local government.
According to the town council report, Apple Valley has a strong social media engagement with residents between ages 20-40. The town has more than 19,000 followers on Facebook, 8,000 followers on Instagram, and another 5,000 followers on its Shop Local profile.
The Apple Valley Public Information Office would like to utilize TikTok in communicating with the next generation of social media users.
The $500 funding request is based on student recommendations from the MYLS event that recently took place in November.
In 2014, Mayor Art Bishop began the MYLS program and welcomed high school students from all over Apple Valley.
Students are able to participate in roundtable discussions with council members and staff as well as help develop solutions to problems presented to the group. All the town departments also hold information sessions.
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“Going into today, I’d like to say that I really didn’t know much about the town. I didn’t know much about how the government system worked,” said a MYLS student participant at the event. “I didn’t know about the town council – how meetings were presented. And I felt like I was able to use this time to learn a lot.”
The day concludes with a “Mock Town Council Meeting” which has the ability to recommend approval of a project for actual funding. In addition to the request for TikTok social media presence, the group recommended funding for the Adopt A Street Program.
Apple Valley Director of Government Services Town Clerk La Vonda M. Pearson at the MYLS event. Photo credit: Town of Apple Valley“The two projects that are being recommended – we will ask those groups to come back and give their presentations to the Apple Valley Town Council,” said Apple Valley Director of Government Services Town Clerk La Vonda M. Pearson at the event.
The Apple Valley Town Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 13, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. located at 14955 Dale Evans Pkwy in Apple Valley.
