Building upon her commitment to protect and strengthen the health, safety, and well-being of Massachusetts’ youth population, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced today the creation of her Office’s first-ever Youth Council. The council will convene regularly to advise the Attorney General and her team about critical issues facing youth and help the council members build skills as leaders and advocates.
“Our young people are our next generation of leaders. Far too often, they are left of out of conversations about issues that directly impact them,” said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “As a mother of two boys, I am fully committed to addressing the challenges facing our youth, and as your Attorney General, I’m proud to seek out young voices to inform our work in these spaces.”
The advisory group is comprised of 18 members between the ages of 14-18 from all regions in Massachusetts. Throughout 12 meetings, they will offer their wisdom and perspective to help inform the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) on issues that affect them, including bias and discrimination, mental health, social media use, anti-bullying, school safety, environmental justice, gun violence prevention, the school-to-prison pipeline, and government accountability. Council members will also be provided the opportunity to take action by participating in AGO events, trainings, educational initiatives, and activities.
"I’m excited to be part of the AGO Youth Council because it provides me with a unique opportunity to learn how the Attorney General and state government address matters that are important to young people. Through my past community involvement, I have come to appreciate the importance of youth engagement. I’m eager to collaborate with my peers to add our voices to the conversations that shape decisions that impact our communities,” said Youth Council Member Victoria Mukiibi.
“I was drawn to the Youth Council because of its opportunity to work with Attorney General Campbell on the issues that matter most to my community and youth across the state, such as youth mental health, youth homelessness, and gun violence. Growing up, I've seen firsthand how these challenges impact friends and peers, and I believe the Attorney General's efforts to address them are deeply felt across the Commonwealth,” said Youth Council Member Kiran Bhatia. “I’m honored to join the Council and bring a youth perspective to these critical conversations, and I look forward to continuing the meaningful strides Attorney General Campbell has made over the past year in combatting these issues and advocating for Massachusetts youth.”
The council’s inaugural members for the 2024-2025 school year are:
- Anya Sawant, Lexington, 14
- Nala Thermora, Framingham, 15
- Fathia Shodeyi, Boston, 15
- Hiba El Fatihi, Boston, 15
- Kiran Singh Bhatia, Brookline, 18
- Suraj Chaudhry, Newton, 18
- Victoria Mukiibi, Harvard, 15
- Arjun Mukherjee, Northborough, 15
- Shruti Sivashankar, Shrewsbury, 15
- Eva Rose Carmona, Worcester, 16
- Esandem Forchap, Lynn, 16
- William Bennett, Andover, 17
- Daniel Darris-O’Connor, Billerica, 17
- Lili Rose Proctor, Norton, 15
- Keegan Butler, Westhampton, 16
- Margaux Galvin, Northampton, 16
- Melody Zhao, Amherst, 16
- Jack Favata, Ludlow, 18
The Youth Council will be managed by Community Engagement Coordinator Nia Johnson and Chief of the AGO’s Community Engagement Division Emily Torres-Cullinane.
Original source can be found here.