If you've ever thought to yourself, "you know, I bet I could do a way better job at this Airdrie mayor thing than Peter Brown," and you happen to be a student in grade five through 12, now you have a chance to prove it.

The City of Airdrie and the Airdrie Board of Youth Affairs are looking to the youth of Airdrie to help improve the city during the Mayor for a Day Challenge.  Social Planner for the City of Airdrie Pauline Clark said this is the fifth year the program's been run.

"It's something we look forward to every year because it allows youth in our community who are in grades five through 12 to submit their ideas and get more involved in how they feel we can improve our city.  We're always looking for any creative or innovative idea that hasn't been done before that they think would be a good way to improve a program or specific policy that's in place in our city."

Clark said she personally looks forward to Mayor for a Day every year because, as she puts it, the imagination has no limit. 

"We get amazing ideas each year.  We encourage youth to reach far, still looking at the originality, the feasibility and the overall benefit to the community, but really thinking on unique and different ways that we can improve certain areas in our community."

Clark thinks the great thing about the program is often, in the past, they actually have implemented some of the ideas of previous Mayors for a Day.

All applications will be shortlisted by a panel that consists of members of the Airdrie Board of Youth Affairs and city staff.  The final decision on winners will be made by members of the board of Youth Affairs and city council.  

Final judging will take place in late April and will allow the final four applicants, two each from middle school and high school, to present their ideas to the judging panel.    The panel will then rate the entries on a scale of one through ten on the idea's originality, it's marketability and cost, the ability of the city to implement the idea, and the overall benefit of the idea to Airdrie citizens.  

Two winners, one in middle school and another in high school will then be selected by the end of May to be Mayor for a Day. 

Applications can be done on the city's website and will be accepted until February 16th.

 

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