Teen Panel Helps City Plan Fun Activities

The verdict is in: Skateboarding is cool, but a workshop on resume-building is bound to be a dud.

That was the determination of a Calabasas panel of teen advisors, who help keep their city hip by suggesting and organizing youth activities. The Teen Advisory Committee, which is seeking more members, also volunteers at city-sponsored events such as the annual Halloween Carnival.

“They’re our feelers out there for the teen population,” said Stefanie Pantelas, the city’s recreation coordinator.

The group of about 10 middle- and high school students meet once a month to plan classes and programs that might appeal to their peers. Some suggestions for the coming year include an entertainment night that would feature tie-dyeing, candle making and music; an overnight ski trip; and a Battle of the Bands, Pantelas said.

A few years ago, the teen committee purchased a Sno-Cone machine to raise money to support their activities.

In addition to organizing programs, they also discuss issues that affect young people.

“They just want to make a difference and they want activities for their friends to do,” Pantelas said.

Occasionally, though, the teen committee and the adult recreation staff have different ideas about what constitutes a good time. The committee shot down Pantelas’s idea for resume-building, and the kids are “definitely burning out a little bit on trips to Magic Mountain,” she said.

On the other hand, the city wasn’t equipped to handle a Battle of the Bands on the mighty scale envisioned by the teens, who wanted to see 20 rock bands dueling it out. Instead, Pantelas said, Calabasas will probably host an evening featuring two or three bands next spring.

The Teen Advisory Committee is looking for additional members, ages 11-17. The first meeting of the new school year will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Juan Bautista de Anza Park in Calabasas Hills. To sign up, call the Calabasas Community Services Department at (818) 880-6461.