2026-2027 Palo Alto Youth Council Application

The Palo Alto Youth Council (PAYC) is a group of 15-20 highly dedicated high school students who serve as youth ambassadors to the City Council. Their purpose is to foster communications and connections between teens and the greater Palo Alto community. To achieve their mission statement, PAYC is actively engaged in the community, and identifies and addresses the key concerns that teenagers face.

Some of the programs PAYC has implemented in recent years include the , 'Mental Health Initiatives', 'Finals Study Cram Slam', and 'Palopalooza', as well as teen surveys and community service events. The PAYC is a great opportunity for high school students to conduct themselves as professionals, and grants them the freedom to take on active leadership roles.

To become a member of the Palo Alto Youth Council, submit a completed application via this online form. Applications will be reviewed and interviews will be scheduled with enthusiastic and eligible candidates. Applicants will be required to attend an in-person interview with the nominating committee. Applications, including letter of recommendation and video, will be accepted NO LATER than Sunday, August 23 , 2026 at 11:59pm.

Schedule your Interview here: 

https://signup.com/go/bMmBwUA

Please note that the application must be complete in order to be considered for membership. We kindly ask that all communication and correspondence is between the applicant and program coordinator directly.

Thank you for your interest, and we hope to see your face in the Palo Alto Youth Council this coming year! If you have any questions, please email youthcouncil@paloalto.gov.

Sincerely,

City of Palo Alto Teen Services

 

Along with the application, candidates must include the following:

1. One Letter of Recommendation (teacher, advisor, mentor, or supervisor). Please have recommender email letter of recommendation directly to youthcouncil@paloalto.gov. Letters of recommendation from family members or directly from applicants will not be accepted. Deadline to submit Letter of Recommendation is August 27, 2026. Returning members are exempt from providing a Letter of Recommendation, and their previous term's contribution will be used as a reference instead.
   
   
2. Record a one-minute video introducing yourself and explaining why you would like to be part of the Palo Alto Youth Council, and what makes you qualified.

2026-2027 Palo Alto Youth Council Application

Meetings

The Palo Alto Youth Council requires mandatory attendance to all weekly meetings in. Meetings will be held in-person on Tuesday evenings from 5-6 PM at Mitchell Park Community Center until further notice. Members are also required to attend all PAYC-planned events* throughout the course of the year.

*Please Note: PAYC-planned events that fall outside the regularly scheduled meetings will be determined throughout the course of the year by all 2026-2027 elected members.

Retreat

We will kick-off the 2026-2027 year with a joint retreat in September with all teen leadership members. The retreat will be an opportunity to meet other members, review bylaws and expectations, plan events and projects for the school year, and vote for elected officer positions. The retreat is mandatory for all new and returning members!

Teen Leadership Retreat
Saturday 9/05/2026
Mitchell Park Community Center 

Time: 9:30am - 1:30pm

General Attendance Policy

Attendance Policy:
Elected PAYC members are expected to attend all meetings and events of the Palo Alto Youth Council.

Members may miss up to five (5) meetings and two (2) events, excused or unexcused*. Whenever a member of the Palo Alto Youth Council misses their fourth and fifth meeting and/or second event, they will be notified by the Council Advisors via email. Upon reaching the sixth missed meeting and/or third missed event, the member will automatically be removed from the Palo Alto Youth Council and no longer recognized as a member. No exceptions or negotiations will be made.

If you plan on missing a meeting, we kindly ask that you please notify the Council Advisors or President at least two (2) hours before the general meeting. For events, we ask that you notify the Council Advisors or President at least one (1) week prior to the event to be missed.

Tardy is defined as arriving to the meeting eight (8) minutes late. Three (3) tardies is equivalent to one absence.

*Please Note: How you use your allotted absences for meetings and events is completely up to you. With that being said, however, we highly recommend you save your absences for serious illnesses or personal emergencies, as these absences will still count towards your total allotted absences.

Again, any and all absences will count towards your allotted five (5) meetings and two (2) events, including sports, illnesses, emergencies, etc. Attendance accommodations will NOT be made for any participant.

Each member must go to a minimum of two event sponsored by the city annually. Examples of city-sponsored events include the May Fete Parade, MLK, YTRS activities, Tree Lighting, and Jack-O-Jaunt. There will be more city-sponsored events added throughout the year to provide more opportunities. If a member decides to attend more than two city sponsored event, this can replenish their allotted meeting absences by 1.

Leadership Roles

Leadership roles are available to new and returning PAYC members. Roles include President, Vice President, Secretary, and Social Media Officer.

Officer meetings will take place weekly, 30 minutes prior to each general council meeting, at 4:30pm.

In addition to the officer meetings, leadership roles require additional time commitment to the PAYC.

PAYC Officer Roles & Responsibilities

• President (Returning members only)
  • Presides over meetings and guides group in decision making.
  • Creates agenda with officers’ input prior to general meeting.
  • Creates and keeps track of project/event committees.
  • Keeps communication with other leadership and advisors regarding important business.
  • Represents group as a whole to the community.

 

• Vice President (Returning members only)
  • Fills in for President in absentia.
  • Co-creates agenda with officers prior to general meeting.
  • Sends out/post reminders about meeting times and locations.
  • Manage Youth Council Gmail inbox (officialpayc@gmail.com) and ensure prompt communication.
  • Holds members accountable by keeping track of and sending reminders about action items.

 

• Secretary (All members)
  • Takes minutes of all meetings.
  • Co-creates agenda with officers prior to general meeting.
  • Uploads minutes to Google Drive within 48 hours (2 days) of meeting.
  • Takes and reports attendance to advisors.

 

• Public Information Officers (All members)
  • Design flyers and social media campaigns for events
  • Co-creates agenda with officers prior to general meeting
  • Collaborate with webmaster on publicizing events
  • Update social media platforms (MP Teen Services Facebook and Instagram)
  • Determines marketing schedule and ensures all members are posting events and projects to their social media accounts
  • Review to make sure all websites are updated with the current information

 

• Outreach Specialist (All members)
  • Create social media post to create engagement and increase social media following
  • Manages and continue to update distributions list
  • Build connections and partnerships, reaching out to individuals or organizations to promote current and ongoing events, workshops, and/or initiatives.
  • Review and analyze current marketing strategies and determines any improvements necessary.
  • Responsible for updating and providing upcoming event, workshops, and/or initiatives information to other Palo Alto Teen Groups (TAC, TLAB, ACTL, TAB, etc.)

 

 

Commitment Policy:
Elected officers are expected to fulfull the roles and responsibilities for their position listed above. If an officer is found not being committed and fulfilling their responsibilities, they will receive up to two warnings via email from the Council Advisors. Upon receving the third and final warning, the officer will automatically be removed from the leadership board, and their position will be up for re-election at the following PAYC meeting. No exceptions or negotiations will be made.

2026-2027 Palo Alto Youth Council Application

Volunteer Experience
(Optional)

Reference

Please have reference email letter of recommendation directly to youthcouncil@paloalto.gov. Letters of recommendation from family members or directly from applicants will not be accepted. Returning members are exempt from providing a Letter of Recommendation, and their previous term's contribution will be used instead.

One-Minute Video

Record a one-minute video introducing yourself and explaining why you would like to be part of the Palo Alto Youth Council, and what makes you qualified.

2026-2027 Palo Alto Youth Council Application

2026-2027 Palo Alto Youth Council Application

 

Short Answer Questions (maximum 150 words per question)