Title
Civic Engagement Unit 2025 Overview
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FileID
File ID: 2026-00610
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Location
Location: Citywide
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Recommendation
Recommendation: Receive and discuss.
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Contact
Contact: Sjon Swanson, Recreation Manager, (916) 808-6049, sswanson@cityofsacramento.org; Kris Wimberly, Recreation Superintendent, (916) 808-6172, kwimberly@cityofsacramento.org; Department of Youth, Parks, and Community Enrichment
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Presenter
Presenter: Kris Wimberly, Recreation Superintendent, (916) 808-6172, kwimberly@cityofsacramento.org; Domynique Herndon, Program Coordinator, (916) 808-1989, dherndon1@cityofsacramento.org; Department of Youth, Parks, and Community Enrichment
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Attachments
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Presentation
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Description/Analysis
IssueDetail
Issue Detail: The goal of the Civic Engagement Unit is to empower Sacramento’s youth citywide with knowledge, resources, and opportunities to advocate and engage within their communities. The unit consists of the Sacramento Youth Commission (SYC), which is a legislative body run similarly to all City Boards and Commissions, along with stipend-based programs Summer @ City Hall (S@CH) and Semester @ City Hall (Sem@CH). programs. These three components of the unit educate young people and provide them with tools to navigate local government and uplift youth voice.
• The Sacramento Youth Commission (SYC) was established in 1993 as an advisory body to the Council Committee on Neighborhood and Public Safety. In 1997, the Youth Commission became an advisory body to the full Sacramento City Council and the Mayor. On April 15, 2019, the Sacramento City Council voted to add Ordinance Chapter 2.162 with the final codification on June 1, 2019, with Ordinance 2019-0010 establishing the Sacramento Youth Commission in Sacramento City Code Section 2.126.
The mission of the SYC is to protect, preserve, enhance, and advance the quality of life for Sacramento youth by advising the City Council and the public on youth-related policies, programs, and opportunities. The SYC serves as a 19-member advisory body, appointed by the Mayor and City Council. Young people aged 14-24 years who reside in or attend a school within Sacramento city limits qualify to apply for an appointment. Each City Councilmember appoints two youth commissioners, and the Mayor appoints three.
In 2025, the number of members appointed to the SYC reached an all-time high of 18. 8 business meetings were held, and 10 Capacity Building training sessions were provided. Key accomplishments included the Sacramento Youth Voice Survey, Aggie Square Youth Listening Sessions, Youth Mental Health Resource Guide, Sacramento’s Children’s Fund collaboration, and continued Youth Outreach. The SYC 2026 workplan will continue efforts focusing on Youth Mental Health, Community Partnerships, and Sac Youth Voice.
For more information about the Sacramento Youth Commission, please email sacyouthcomm@cityofsacramento.org.
• Summer @ City Hall (S@CH) is a stipend-based program that offers an engaging learning experience for incoming high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The S@CH program is in-person at City Hall, where participants are immersed in local government firsthand and gain valuable insights on how to become an active citizen in their community.
The City of Sacramento Department of Youth, Parks, and Community Enrichment has partnered with Natomas Unified, Twin Rivers Unified, and Sacramento City Unified School Districts for over 12 years to bring this program to life.
Throughout the program, students are supported by city staff, credentialed teachers, and Peer Mentors who previously completed the program. The instructional team delivers a comprehensive curriculum covering topics such as civic engagement, activism, government structure, and more, grounded in youth development principles.
At the end of the program, students present an advocacy project called Project City Hall. They develop the project in smaller peer groups and present it to the City Council. Each participant also completes an internship with city departments, charter offices, local non-profits, government agencies, or youth programs. Upon successful completion, students receive five elective credits, a letter of community service, and a monetary stipend.
At the conclusion of the summer of 2025, 15 high schools were represented by the 109 program participants. The S@CH alumni listing added 81 students, and 28 Peer Mentors returned to support the program in leadership roles.
For more information about the Summer @ City Hall (S@CH) program, email summeratcityhall@cityofsacramento.org.
• Semester @ City Hall (Sem@CH) is a new stipend-based program offered through the Civic Engagement Unit. This program is an interactive learning experience providing students with a foundational understanding of local government operations. It introduces key concepts of advocacy and activism, fosters leadership development, and empowers youth to engage in civic life.
Participants actively engage in their learning exploration through research projects focused on critical social, city, and community issues relevant to young people. Working collaboratively, students develop presentations to raise awareness of their chosen topics. These presentations are agendized and presented at a Sacramento Youth Commission (SYC) business meeting.
Throughout the program, students receive guidance and support from City staff. The cohort meets twice a week for five weeks. During the inaugural cohort in the spring of 2025, 19 students completed the program, representing 13 high schools citywide. The success of the spring session continued to the fall 2025 cohort with 14 youth completing the program, representing 8 high schools citywide.
Another amazing addition to the fall cohort was the assistance of two Peer Mentors who had completed the spring session. The Peer Mentors applied their learned leadership experience and knowledge of the program to support the new students during their program.
For more information about the Semester @ City Hall (Sem@CH), email summeratcityhall@cityofsacramento.org.
Parks Plan 2040 Key Directions
Youth Wellbeing
•Provide a range of recreation and enrichment programs for toddlers, children, youth, tweens, teens, and young adults.
• Summer @ City Hall Program
• Semester @ City Hall Program
•Expand programs and services to support youth health, special needs, educational programs, childcare, youth development, workforce/volunteer training, and family support.
• New Semester @ City Hall program
YPCE Leadership & Collaboration
•Expand connections and communication with School Districts, partners, facility operators, community leaders, and volunteers.
•Expanded collaboration with Twin Rivers, Natomas Unified, and Sacramento City School District for Summer @ City Hall and Semester @ City Hall.
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PolicyConsiderations
Policy Considerations: Not Applicable.
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EconomicImpacts
Economic Impacts: Not Applicable.
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EnvironmentalConsiderations
Environmental Considerations: Not Applicable.
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Sustainability
Sustainability: Not Applicable.
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Commission/Committee Action
Commission/Committee Action: Not Applicable.
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RationaleforRecommendation
Rationale for Recommendation: Not Applicable.
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FinancialConsiderations
Financial Considerations: Not Applicable.
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LocalBusinessEnterprise
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not Applicable.
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