BOTHELL, Wash. – FEMA announced the 2022-2023 Youth Preparedness Council members, and four are from states in FEMA Region 10. Katie Clark of Washington and Neha Srinivasan of Oregon are new members joining existing members Miles Butler of Idaho and Shivani Jayaprakasam of Washington.
FEMA selected 15 new members to join 10 returning council members. Members were selected based on their dedication to public service, community involvement and potential to increase levels of community resilience throughout the country. FEMA created the council in 2012 to bring together diverse young leaders interested in strengthening disaster preparedness across the nation and within their communities.
Clark expressed she is eager to expand on her regional Red Cross experience. “I’m…excited to be combining my Red Cross work as a youth preparedness coordinator with my Youth Preparedness Council position to maximize preparedness efforts in my area and to help on a larger scale.”
The council supports FEMA’s commitment to build a culture of preparedness in the United States and provides an avenue to engage young people by considering their perspectives, feedback and opinions. Council members meet with FEMA staff throughout their term to provide input on strategies, initiatives and projects.
This year, each council member will participate in the Youth Preparedness Council Summit held virtually in late July. During this annual event, members will participate in online preparedness activities; learn from senior leaders in national preparedness; and engage with FEMA community preparedness staff who offer support and mentorship throughout their term.
The new 2022 council members are:
Sophie Fares of California
Lauren Coval of Colorado
Taylor Worbington of Florida
Vaishnavi Kumbala of Louisiana
Navin Ramesh of Massachusetts
Theo Illarionov of Massachusetts
Janice Saji of Michigan
Aarushi Bute of Missouri
Meher Harjani of New Jersey
Amanda Cisse of New York
Kemi Heyward-Rotimi of North Carolina
Neha Srinivasan of Oregon
Ryan Liu of Texas
Layla Ibrahim of Virginia
Katie Clark of Washington
The returning council members are:
Isaac Doll of Colorado
Aubrey Dockins of Florida
Miles Butler of Idaho
Beitris Boyreau-Millar of Maryland
Ranjana Ramesh of Massachusetts
Alexia Nastasia of Missouri
Mirika Jambudi of New Jersey
Megan Cameron of New York
Amira Seay of Texas
Shivani Jayaprakasam of Washington
The next application cycle will open in early 2023. Teens in the eighth through 11th grades may apply online at https://community.fema.gov/PreparednessCommunity/s/apply-to-ypc.
To learn more about FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council, visit: http://www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness-council.
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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.