ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands – FEMA is looking for students in grades eight to 11 in the U.S. Virgin Islands who are passionate about making a positive impact in their community to apply for an opportunity to join the Youth Preparedness Council. The council brings teens together from across the nation who are interested in community preparedness and looking to build leadership skills and networks that will feed their success into the future.
Council members serve a one-year term that starts July 2024. During their term, council members work collaboratively on local and national level projects to build a more resilient nation. The council demonstrates FEMA’s commitment to involve America’s youth in preparedness-related activities.
Proposals for projects from previous council members include:
- Designing a graphic novel for children to explain the effects of a changing climate,
- Developing the framework for support groups aimed at young people who have experienced disasters,
- Creating a book designed to help young people understand decision making during disasters.
“The Youth Preparedness Council offers an exciting opportunity for teenagers in the U.S. Virgin Islands to develop leadership skills, enable creative minds to build preparedness in their community, and provides students with opportunities to distinguish themselves,” said Aaron VanDoren, Acting Coordinator for FEMA’s U.S. Virgin Islands Caribbean Area Office. “We look forward to working with aspiring leaders in the Virgin Islands who will offer fresh perspectives to strengthen a culture of resilience as we focus on solutions to prepare for all hazards in the territory.”
2024-2025 council members will attend the July 2025 Council Summit where they will engage with top leaders within FEMA, the federal government and national nonprofit organizations. Each year, council teams also attend sessions, workshops and networking events and present their project proposals to a panel of emergency management experts during a virtual event.
Learn more about the council and application requirements at the Youth Preparedness Council page on FEMA.gov. All applications and supporting materials must be submitted no later than March 4. New council members will be announced in June 2024.
FEMA will host a webinar for potential applicants on Feb. 27, 2024.
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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.