Teen advisory board forming in Clallam County

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 23, 2026

PORT ANGELES — Clallam County students in grades eight through 12 are being asked to help design a Teen Advisory Board, giving young residents a formal role in local government.

The county, led by Commissioner Mark Ozias, and Clallam County 4-H are hosting three focus groups to gather ideas on how the board should operate, which issues it should prioritize and what role it should play in shaping county programs and services, such as animal control, health, homelessness and housing, the library, law enforcement and many others.

Their feedback is critical for the advisory board to succeed, said Melanie Greer, 4-H and youth empowerment coordinator at the WSU Clallam County Extension.

“It needs to make sense to kids,” Greer said. “Should the meetings be hybrid or in person? What time of day should they be?”

Teens don’t need to be enrolled in 4-H to participate.

Beyond having input into county decisions, students would gain civic and leadership skills and connect with peers who share an interest in their community.

“This is great civics education and community service that looks good on a scholarship and college application and on a resume,” Greer said. “You can be a part of the solution and have some say on what happens in the county.”

Meeting dates at 6 p.m. June 30 at the Rainforest Arts Center, 500 E. Division St., Forks; 6 p.m. July 1 at council chambers at Sequim City Hall, 152 W. Cedar St.; and 6 p.m. July 7 in the historic courtroom at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.

To register, go to https://tinyurl.com/ClallamTeens.

For more information, contact Greer by email at melanie.greer@wsu.edu.

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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.