NEWS: High School Students Offer Fresh Perspectives on Emergency Preparedness in First Step Toward Engaging Next Generation
San Mateo County, California sent this bulletin at 06/23/2025 02:28 PM PDT
June 23, 2025
For Immediate Release
High School Students Offer Fresh Perspectives on Emergency Preparedness in First Step Toward Engaging Next Generation
San Mateo – When San Mateo County’s Emergency Management team invited students from Mercy High School to participate in a recent wildfire preparedness event, they discovered a powerful yet underused tool hiding in plain sight: teen voices.
The high school students did far more than observe — they jumped into supporting every aspect of the event, brought creative solutions and fresh energy that's reshaping how the County approaches emergency preparedness for its youngest residents.
With nearly 18 percent of county's population under age of 18, engaging young people is essential to our collective preparedness and resiliency. The pilot collaboration with Mercy High School was so successful that it's becoming a model for a broader youth engagement strategy.
"The students were well prepared to have the conversation, spoke thoughtfully and confidently and provided unique insights and suggestions for future programming that otherwise would never have been unearthed," said Dr. Shruti Dhapodkar, Director of San Mateo County's Department of Emergency Management.
