Youth Council launches its 2026-27 term
The Port St. Lucie Youth Council kicked off its new term Sept. 12, with its annual Youth Council Leadership Summit.
The event brought together 41 students and 30 parents for a day of leadership, teamwork and connection. Mayor Shannon Martrin attended the summit and welcomed students and families with opening remarks.
This year’ s summit was designed by four Youth Council members with support from City staff, following the theme: Youth Designed. Youth Led. Youth Attended.
Students learned about their responsibilities for the year, practiced running effective meetings, participated in team-building activities and competed in a fun scavenger hunt for prizes donated by local businesses, including movie tickets, Starbucks, golf lessons, First Watch gifts and City swag. Marco’ s Pizza also generously provided lunch.
On Sept. 17, the Youth Council held its first meeting of the new term, welcoming 42 members in attendance. The opening session set a strong tone for the year as participants demonstrated leadership, teamwork and civic enthusiasm.
During the meeting, several members delivered campaign speeches for six Youth Council board positions, showcasing their commitment to public service and their vision for the Council’ s continued growth. Members also received an overview of upcoming volunteer opportunities.
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14 ON THE
PSL PULSE
Voting for this year’ s election was completed through Engage PSL, the new communication tool for the Youth Council which ensures a streamlined and accessible experience for all members.
A total of 37 members participated in this year’ s election, selecting the following students to serve on the 2026 – 27 Youth Council Board:
Chairperson: Andrew Witz‐Schaffer Vice Chair: Joshua Santel Chair Pro Tem: Ivy Golden Secretary: Aaron Garcia Legislative Subcommittee Chair: Gerbens Landeau Youth Recreation Subcommittee Co‐Chairs: Anaika Michel and Jasmine Ferre resulted in a tie. Both will serve collaboratively, alternating leadership on youth and City event initiatives throughout the term.
The City congratulates all newly elected board members and extends appreciation to every Youth Council participant for contributing to a successful launch of the term.
ENGAGED AND CONNECTED CITY