Youth advisory council now taking applications

The Louisiana Legislative Youth Advisory Council is accepting applications for membership from high school students who have an interest in representing the voices of other young people around the state. 

LYAC is an annually appointed body composed entirely of students that tackle issues affecting the youth of Louisiana.

 The purpose of LYAC is to facilitate the communication between youth and the legislature, and to give students a unique opportunity to be involved in the workings of state government. The council studies and addresses a variety of issues of importance to young people such as education, mental health, civic engagement, the environment, and school safety.

 Members of the council are selected from a wide pool of statewide applicants who display a strong interest in civic involvement. The thirty-one member council includes three students representing each of the six congressional districts and the remaining members serve at large. Applicants must be between the ages of fourteen and nineteen and enrolled in a public or private high school, charter school, home school, or GED skills program during the 2021-2022 school year.

 The deadline to apply is March 26. The application may be accessed at civiced.louisiana.gov and then by clicking on LYAC at the top of the page. 

All applicants are required to submit two recommendation letters in addition to the eight short essay questions and application form. The forms and short answer questions should be completed and submitted online. The letters of recommendation should be emailed to bellam@legis.la.gov or mailed to Louisiana Commission on Civic Education c/o Megan Bella Louisiana Senate P.O. Box 94183 Baton Rouge, LA 70804. Letters may be sent by the student applicant or the recommender.

 The students have the opportunity to meet with legislators and elected officials and bring a youth related topic to the legislature during a regular session. For additional information, please contact Megan Bella at bellam@legis.la.gov or 225-342-2370.