Over 70 high school students from PUSD gathered at the Veterans Memorial Building on Feb. 27 to deepen their understanding of local government. The students were set to shadow officials in two city departments of their choice, network with peers and city officials, and engage in a climate action and team building focused activity.
“I registered for this event because I wanted to understand the different aspects of our local government and explore possible career opportunities. I wanted to go into engineering and this event showed me that there are a lot of ways I can work with the government and partner with them to create systems they need,” said Ayaanali Shaherwalla (‘28).
Behind the Scenes
Organizing this event is no easy task. Each year, the planning process begins with Pleasanton’s Youth Commission, which consists of middle and high school students. These students provide insights on the event’s theme, assist in creating promotional flyers, and vote on the activities to be featured.
“The role of the Youth Commission in planning this event is pretty instructive. For example, we brainstorm and discuss the themes that we will implement and talk about at the event. We discussed the theme of climate action/sustainability and team building this year,” said Youth Commission member Vyan Kumar (27’).
After months of discussion and planning, city officials take the lead, coordinating with various departments to recruit job shadows, contacting schools to send promotional emails, and organizing the logistics to ensure the event runs smoothly. This thorough preparation is what makes the event a successful hands-on learning experience, giving students a firsthand look at the daily responsibilities of different city officials.
A Hands-On Endeavor
“I shadowed the traffic department and it was valuable to go inside the office and see how they have cameras everywhere that have a 360 degree view. It was cool to see how accurate and precise these cameras are and how the city officials are utilizing technology to keep people safe. It really helped me understand how much attention goes into managing the traffic of our cities,” said Shaherwalla.
Through hands-on activities and onsite visits, students gain exposure to leadership, decision-making, and public service. Youth in Government Day provides a unique opportunity for students to learn about the endless possibilities of the local government and clear common misconceptions.
“As Director of IT, I would say that Youth in Government Day is a good opportunity to inform Pleasanton students that IT is not just about being a coder or writing the next best platform. You can have a pretty successful career that’s very rewarding knowing that you are serving the community,” said Pleasanton’s Director of Information Technology Allen Hammond.
