The city needs you to join the Millennial Advisory Committee

Millennials are as mission-minded as they are hard to reach. But in a city that’s experienced more growth in its millennial population in the past 10 years than any other, it’s essential that their opinions are considered.

The Office of Public Engagement is tapping into that thought bank with its Millennial Advisory Committee (MAC), an in-development cohort of Philadelphia residents ages 23 to 34 who will advise policymakers on issues important to them and their peers.

Deputy Mayor Nina Ahmad has two specific outcomes in mind:

1. Get feedback on the city’s strengths and problems — “We want our millennials to feel their voices are being heard,” she said. 

2. Brand the city according to what young people want it to look like in order to attract more 

The office is hoping to recruit 20 volunteers who are representative of the city’s diversity — young people of different neighborhoods, professions, races, etc.

“We would really like to have as many people representing the millennial community” as possible, Ahmad said, including immigrants who can explain what the city needs to do to make them feel acclimated and returning citizens who can share what’s needed to make the transition back to civilian life successful. 

Once those 20 are chosen for MAC, they’ll select another set of millennials from the original applicant pool to participate in subcommittees that address specific issues — TBD — and develop related initiatives.

MAC grew from the city’s Millennial Recruitment Advisory Board, launched last September to attract young people to government work.

“These are the people that are going to be running the city soon and using the city’s services,” Ahmad said. 

See that? Running things. Time to listen up.