CAMBRIDGE — This summer, the City of Cambridge and Mayor Victoria Jackson-Stanley will form a group called the MY Leadership Council, made up of youth in the community. The MY Leadership Council hopes to start a dialogue between youth and civic leaders to help shape a more dynamic community.

The ‘MY’ stands for ‘Mayor’s Youth,” but also as an expression of ownership for the youth who choose to be involved.

“We want everyone involved to have ownership in this group,” said Mayor Jackson-Stanley. “Certainly, the city government will benefit from the input, but the individuals in the group will have an opportunity to lead initiatives. It will be a collaborative environment.”

Middle School and High School students living in Cambridge can call City Hall at 410-228-4020, or email Jackson-Stanley directly at mayor@choosecambridge.com.

The group will tackle difficult challenges and develop relevant strategies to address them. The goal is to create a strong organization which looks at our community from a different angle and works together to form programs and projects to address specific needs.

“Our entire community benefits from this approach,” said Mayor Jackson-Stanley. “It’s a proactive way to engage young people in our decision making, but it also gives them the opportunity to help form the kind of community they want to be a part of moving forward.”