Community Voices15 teens will spend the school year in public service.
Riviera Beach has launched its first Youth Council, a 15-member board of teenagers who will have a voice in their city’s future.
Why it matters: Youth Council members will learn about local government, perform community service and pursue projects to improve life in Riviera Beach.
- The members applied for their appointments and will be paid a $500 stipend when they complete their one-year term.
What they’re saying: “We established the council to reflect all of Riviera Beach,” Mayor Doug Lawson said when the members were sworn in Oct. 1. “Not just the seniors, not just the few people who come to the mic every week. But, actually, the young folks who are going to be impacted by the decisions this board makes.”
Council Member Kashamba Miller-Anderson, an assistant principal, gave Youth Council members copies of several books, including Robert’s Rules of Order, the most widely used manual for parliamentary procedure, “City Council 101,” “The Ultimate Guide to Life Skills for Teens,” “Lead to Win” and “Mastering Council Meetings.”
The Riviera Beach Youth Council members for the 2025–26 term are: Raina Caballero and Reese Caballero, Dreyfoos High School; Seanna Clarke, Liana Garcia, Xiyah MacLarty, Genesis Salmon, Kayla Simeus, Trevana Walton and Kha’Leria Williams, Palm Beach Gardens High School; Elijah Duverson and Bryce Jackson, Palm Beach Lakes High School; Zion Gyamfi, Suncoast Community High School; Ayanna Melvin and Supreme Melvin, Florida Virtual School; and Kristopher Thurston, Dwyer High School.
The council president is Ayanna Melvin, the vice president is Raina Caballero and the secretary is Liana Garcia.
Of note: All of the Youth Council members live in Riviera Beach, but only one attends a high school in the city.
The big picture: Other Palm Beach County cities have youth councils, including Boca Raton, Mangonia Park, Palm Beach Shores, South Bay, and Wellington, Eyrn Alcorn of the Florida League of Cities said Monday via email.
Catch up quick: Riviera Beach Youth Council members held their first town hall on Nov. 15 at the Marina Village Event Center. During the meeting, members said they want to increase pride in the community.
“I feel like we can all kind of relate that sometimes there’s like a stigma around being from Riviera Beach,” Youth Council Secretary Garcia said, “and I would just like to make community events to help us be Riviera Beach strong and proud of where we come from.”
The council’s first project is to collaborate with Riviera Beach Police Chief Michael Coleman and other partners to spread awareness about the legal consequences of using vapes. If someone under 18 is found in possession of a vape with THC, they could be charged with a felony.
Coleman, Miller-Anderson and Youth Council Vice President Caballero talked about the initiative last month on CBS 12 News.
In November, council members traveled to DeLand for a Florida League of Cities Youth Council Summit.
“That’s where I actually got the term ‘servant leader,’” Council President Melvin said at the town hall meeting. A servant leader puts the people being served first.
After the town hall question-and-answer session, as many servant leaders do, council members came into the audience to engage with community members.
What’s next: Council members meet at 6 pm on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular meeting will be Jan. 8 at the Riviera Beach Library.
- In late January, council members will travel to Tallahassee with other youth councils during the legislative session.
Who wrote this story: This story was reported by the Community Voices team of Micaja Etienne, Mikala Graham, Abigail Guillaume, Marielys Solano, Kelvin Verhovlyak and Myles Whigham.
What is CV: Community Voices is a pilot program of Stet News with Inlet Grove Middle and High School to train and pay students to cover Riviera Beach. Stet News is underwriting the pilot.
Inlet Grove High School journalism teacher C.B. Hanif and Stet’s Carolyn DiPaolo and Liz Capozzi contributed to this story.
