EVERETT, Wash., January 15, 2023—Last Friday, over 130 high school students from local school districts traveled to the Snohomish County Government Campus to meet elected officials and county staff and learn about county government and civil political discourse. Snohomish County Council Chair Jared Mead and Vice-Chair Nate Nehring invited the students to campus as part of their ongoing effort to promote civility and inspire the next generation of leaders.

“I am continually inspired by the curiosity of students and walk away from events like this with a renewed appreciation for the responsibility of my role in County Government,” said Council Chair Mead. “I look forward to more opportunities like this bringing students to campus and bringing elected officials to the classroom for more engagement on the issues facing our communities.”

Students met with County Councilmembers, Sheriff Adam Fortney, Prosecutor Jason Cummings, Superior and District Court judges, and staff from Public Works, the Office of Public Defense, Human Services, and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

“Today was a great opportunity to give youth in our community a front row seat to County Government and learn about how decisions are made and how they can be involved,” said Vice-Chair Nehring. “By introducing these students to leaders in county government, I hope it will inspire them to engage with their government in a productive way.”

Participating students came from North Creek High School, Marysville-Pilchuck High School, Marysville-Getchel High School, Cascade High School, Everett High School, Henry M. Jackson High School, and Sequoia High School.

Councilmembers Mead and Nehring are planning on making this an annual visit and hope to grow participation in the coming years.

If you know of a class or school that would be interested in hosting County elected officials as guest speakers, please reach out to Angela Ewert at angela.ewert@snoco.org or Russell Wiita at russell.wiita@snoco.org.