Students learn how to run city

Today 178 local high school students will see what it takes to run a city as part of Youth in Government Day, a chance to shadow government officials on the job, then hold a mock City Council meeting on issues affecting today’s youth.

Students from public high schools citywide will participate in the annual field trip, which the student members of the city Youth Board have been planning since September.

This year’s theme — Super Heroes: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.

In addition to the small groups or solo sessions with city officials, there will be speech and art contests, a luncheon with city and educational officials, and the mock council meeting run by each real council member’s student understudy for the day.

The meeting will cover issues of interest to students, like police surveillance at a school anti-substance abuse group’s concert, and options to replace the city’s doomed public skate park near Huntington Beach High School.

“I’m going to present on the skate park, the council will discuss it, and then we’re going to open it all up to public comment,” said board member and Edison High student Dylan Heyden. “It’s all going to be pretty professional.”

Youth Board members, nearly all of whom participated last year, called it a mind-opening experience.

“I never really knew much about my city government before then,” said Marina High School student Rebecca Clopp. “I didn’t even know who the mayor was.”

Some called it empowering.

“It shows young people have a voice in the community,” said board member and Edison High student Carey Huss. “I don’t think they know you can go to the city council and speak. If you don’t like something, you can say something about it.”