Youth commission pauses Social Justice Scholarship; recommends relaunch with broader criteria next term

Staff described the Social Justice Award program and told commissioners that winners historically directed a $1,000 donation to a nonprofit of their choice. "We would then want the council to donate, you know and I wanna say it's about, yeah, 1000 dollars, to a nonprofit, organization," the staff member said when summarizing the program funding.

Commissioners and staff agreed the award has attracted few applicants in recent years and suggested renaming or broadening the criteria (for example, "Youth Impact Award") and moving the application timeline earlier in the school year to allow a two-to-three month application window. The commission decided to pause the award this year and to revisit and relaunch the program next term with revised language and a longer promotion period.