Douglas County Introduces High School Citizens Health Advisory Council
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners and the Douglas County Health Department have formed a new group to engage high school students in health-related issues and their local government. The Douglas County High School Citizens Health Advisory Council was approved at Tuesday’s meeting of the County Board.
“We think this will help us address the many health issues that young people face today,” said Douglas County Health Director Dr. Adi Pour. “This is very exciting news.”
County Board Chair Mary Ann Borgeson agreed.
“The High School Citizens Health Advisory Council will give some of our young leaders a chance to learn first-hand about their local government,” she said. “This is long overdue.”
To apply, students must be a junior or senior, attend a high school located in Douglas County, and have the consent of their parent or adult guardian. Completed applications will be submitted to the Health Director who will forward it to the County Commissioner representing the district in which the student’s high school is located. The Commissioner will recommend two students per district, who will then be reviewed by the Board of Health. The final selection will be made by the Health Director.
Selection will be based on the student’s qualifications and statement of interest, as well as recommendations from the Commissioners and Board of Health. An effort will be made to name a junior and a senior in each district, with juniors serving two-year terms and seniors serving one year. Consideration will be given to school that may have a particular health issue as determined by data.
A goal of the program is to have an equitable distribution of appointments between schools from year to year. Applications will be available starting later this week at the high schools and are to be returned to the Health Director by Oct. 26. Appointments will be made in December with the Council’s first meeting in January or February.