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By EMILY REED | Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER – Applications are currently being accepted for the 2022-2023 Alabaster Teen Council.

The Teen Council is open to Thompson, Evangel, Alabaster and homeschool students in grades 9-11.

Registration goes through March 1 and requires students to serve 25 hours of community service, with most participants usually exceeding the 25-hour minimum each year.

The mission of Alabaster Teen Council is to provide Alabaster youth an opportunity to impact the community, while learning about their local government.

“The Alabaster Teen Council is a youth service organization focused on exposing our appointed youth leaders to municipal government, volunteerism and philanthropy, all while demonstrating the ideals of servant leadership,” said Karen Fillingim, executive director of the Alabaster Teen Council. “In addition, the ATC serves the local student community through planning, executing and hosting fun and safe events for their peers. The events include hosting five teen movie nights, a foam slip n’ slide, a back-to-school bash and an educational event partnering with Alabaster’s Drug Prevention Team (For Tomorrow).”

Fillingim said teens participating on the Teen Council learn some invaluable life lessons on the importance of teamwork, collaboration and communication to achieve a common goal.

“The ATC is not a spectator sport since it is 100-percent student driven,” Fillingim said. “Everyone has a role. I am the leader, teacher and director, and there is a co-director, Brandon Matthews. The work is distributed through our different sub committees with chair/co-chair positions including communications, marketing, concessions, entertainment, connection column and visual arts.”

Fillingim said much of the work with the Council is visible to the community, but there is also a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes.

“With the concession stand money collected throughout our events, these leaders give 100 percent of their earnings to support our local charities of their choosing,” Fillingim said. “It is a joy to see them grasp the value of giving back and making a positive impact on our community through giving.”

The term for the Alabaster Teen Council goes from April to March.

For more information about the Council, or to apply for this year’s Council, visit the city of Alabaster’s homepage at Cityofalabaster.com.