City seeks input from local youth

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The City of St. Joseph hosted "Student in Government Day" at EmPowerU.

The event included St. Joseph students from five high schools and nine middle schools who participated in their own student councils.

Students were split into several large groups to talk about community concerns and brainstorm ways the city could be improved, even preparing presentations to share their ideas with city leaders.

Some of the topics the students showcased were: homelessness, reviving East Hills Mall and cleaning up the city.

Mike Schumacher, St. Joseph's city manager, said the event helps the city hear from the youth in the area.

"So we want to hear from these students and we want to hear what they want to see in St. Joe and what direction they feel this community and the city and where the organization needs to go," he said.

Schumacher said it feels fantastic to hear all the students' concerns about the city.

"You know, it's important that we engage every age bracket in the entire community for input and guidance on what they want to see from city government," Schumacher said.

Anopa Chikunya, a freshman at Central High School, said seeking opinions from the youth demographic could increase the population.

"It's important that the youth can say where they would want to live because if they didn't like where they live when they graduate, what's going to happen is that St. Joe, when everybody leaves," she said.

Shae Davison, a junior at Lafayette High School, also shared the same sentiment.

"We want to make St. Joe a better place. Like when we have our kids and we're like, later on in life, we want to come back and live here.

Schumacher said he wants to see more events like this in the future.