SENATE MEMORIAL 12

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2016

INTRODUCED BY

William P. Soules

A MEMORIAL

RECOGNIZING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNITY-BASED, YOUTH- CENTERED PROGRAMS CREATED IN DONA ANA COUNTY AS A RESULT OF LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS, THE DEDICATION OF AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT BY GRASS-ROOTS AND PUBLIC SECTOR ENTITIES AND THE ENTHUSIASTIC INVOLVEMENT OF THE YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS OF DONA ANA COUNTY.

     WHEREAS, in 2007, Senate Memorial 4 from the first session of the forty-eighth legislature resolved that youth boards, youth commissions and other organizations that encourage the next generation to become more involved in the civic affairs of local and state government be viewed as an asset to the people and communities of New Mexico, to the future of the state and to the development of more active and informed residents; and

     WHEREAS, in 2010, Senate Memorial 34 from the second session of the forty-ninth legislature recognized that there is a demonstrated need for youth to participate in the governance system of their communities on all matters affecting young people, such as building healthier communities, combating violence, conducting public forums and eliminating substance abuse, and to participate on behalf of community youth on issues such as curfews, cruising, truancy, skateboard parks, underage drinking and "youth space" programming; and

     WHEREAS, in September 2010, the newly incorporated city of Anthony resolved to create and support the "Anthony teen advisory council" to recommend courses of action to the mayor and board of trustees on public policy issues that impact young adults and children and to increase public awareness of youth issues; and 

     WHEREAS, in 2012, House Memorial 21 from the second session of the fiftieth legislature requested that municipalities create and support youth advisory boards, councils or commissions and recognize the contributions that those entities make to their communities; and

     WHEREAS, on August 5, 2015, the board of education of the Las Cruces public school district initiated a formal policy to include a student representative at the dais in board meetings, and the board resolved to establish a youth advisory council with representatives from each public high school in Las Cruces; and

     WHEREAS, in June of 2014 and 2015, a project of the community foundation of southern New Mexico and the Ocotillo institute for social justice organized youth and adults for the planning and execution of a youth leadership development program centered on financial stability, life after high school, team building and youth organizing at the community level; in each year, over two hundred twenty-five young people came together for a two-day conference, resulting in briefings to elected officials on the "burning issues" of concern to local youth; and these two gatherings were supported and sponsored by thirty-one local organizations; and

     WHEREAS, in the summer of 2015, in response to a key recommendation from the youth conferences that Dona Ana county form a county youth commission, Dona Ana county commissioners encouraged the Ocotillo institute for social justice to create a one-year pilot project to identify the potential benefits of countywide youth participation in public policy and community engagement; and

     WHEREAS, since 2014, the charitable organization "Ngage New Mexico" has focused on improving educational outcomes in Dona Ana county and has worked with New Mexico state university, the three school districts in the county, representatives of the New Mexico congressional delegation, community volunteers and youth to form the "SUCCESS partnership", which provides a forum for all stakeholders in education to actively participate in evaluating the complete educational spectrum from "prenatal to career"; and

     WHEREAS, in 2007, the optimist international clubs of Las Cruces, through a committee of volunteers and supported by the mayor of Las Cruces, founded the "mayor's top teens", a program that is dedicated to creating a community that values teens and promotes a positive image of them in that community in which teens from tenth and eleventh grades in local schools are nominated by teachers, counselors, friends and clergy; and

     WHEREAS, in 2015, the village of Hatch and Hatch Valley high school committed to recognizing the Hatch "mayor's top teens" from applicants chosen on the basis of school activities, church activities, community service, school attendance, grades, integrity and honesty on an annual basis;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the importance of the creation of public- private partnerships that address youth-related, community- based issues and that foster sustainable programs and collaborative projects to increase youth participation, government support and private investment in addressing those issues be recognized and encouraged; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Dona Ana county, the city of Las Cruces and the city of Anthony, together with the Ocotillo institute for social justice and Ngage New Mexico, be recognized for their enthusiastic commitment to youth engagement; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that other counties and municipalities and Native American governmental entities in New Mexico be encouraged to create community-based partnerships between private and governmental sectors that bring youth and adults together to recognize, discuss and address issues that will improve the quality of life of youth and young adults; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the mayors of the village of Hatch, the city of Las Cruces and the city of Anthony; the chair of the board of county commissioners of Dona Ana county; the executive directors of the New Mexico municipal league and New Mexico association of counties; the executive head of each Indian nation, tribe and pueblo in New Mexico; the secretary of public education; and the secretary of higher education.

- 5 -