Teen 03-13-2024
APPROVED MINUTES
CUPERTINO TEEN COMMISSION
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
REGULAR TEEN COMMISSION MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
At 6:04 p.m. Chair Shah called the Teen Commission meeting to order.
ROLL CALL
Present: Biswari, Chen, Cheung, Garg, Gupta (6:27 p.m.), Hu, Kumar, Mukherjee, Shah. Absent: none.
Staff: Sonya Lee, Robert Kaufman, Alex Corbalis.
CEREMONIAL MATTERS AND PRESENTATIONS
1. Subject: Receive a presentation on the Cupertino Sports Center and Sports Programs in
Parks and Recreation.
Recommended Action: Receive a presentation on the Cupertino Sports Center and
Sports Programs in Parks and Recreation from Recreation Coordinator, Alex Corbalis.
Commissioners received the presentation and did not have any questions or comments.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
2. Subject: Approval of Minutes – February 14, 2024
Recommended Action: Review and approve the minutes from the Teen Commission
meeting on February 14, 2024.
Commissioner Mukherjee moved to approve the February meeting minutes.
Commissioner Chen seconded the motion. The commission voted 9-0 to approve the
minutes.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
No written communications.
Cupertino Teen Commission Minutes March 13, 2024
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
No oral communications.
OLD BUSINESS
3. Subject: Confirm Teen Commissioners for upcoming speaking opportunities at City
programs and events.
Recommended Action: Confirm Teen Commissioners for upcoming speaking
opportunities at City programs and events through expressed interest and availability
for dates.
Teen Resource Fair
• Chair Shah, Commissioner Chen, and Vice Chair Cheung confirmed
• Commissioners Biswari and Hu tentative
GenConnect
• Commissioner Gupta tentative on attendance, no speaking
Big Bunny 5K
• Commissioners Mukherjee and Gupta confirmed as MC’s
HACK
• Commissioners Biswari, Garg, and Vice Chair Cheung interested in judging
• Commissioner Mukherjee will be a participant
Earth Day Festival
• Commissioners Biswari, Chen, and Gupta interested in MC
Business and Boba
• Vice Chair Cheung confirmed to moderate
NEW BUSINESS
4. Subject: Receive a presentation and provide feedback on potential partnerships for Teen
Programs
Recommended Action: Receive a presentation and provide feedback on potential
partnerships for Teen Programs from Recreation Coordinator, Robert Kaufman.
Commissioner Feedback:
• Get a boba store to sponsor
• Work with a particular business at Main Street, but give them a booth for hiring
at Teen Fair
• Ask Apple to donate for HACK, Big Bunny 5K, Cyber Security Fair
Cupertino Teen Commission Minutes March 13, 2024
• Ask for donations from teen mental health organizations, but give them a booth
at Teen Fair
• Ask for donations from places like Khan Academy
• Work with Wildfire Awareness organization with Santa Clara County
• Regarding tolerance of sponsorships at City events:
o As long as sponsor is not in the way of the event
o If you can see what sponsor is contributing, City will have better events
o Try to incorporate the sponsor throughout the event
• Other suggestions:
o Logo only sponsorships
o Don’t stop an award ceremony to talk about the sponsor
o Look for sponsors that are themed toward the event
o Look for sponsors that have “hand on” samples from the business or show
you their product in person
o For HACK, have a sponsor “sponsor” a room of the event like a video
game break room or a workshop
o Partner with museums as places to host events
o Have sponsors sponsor the location like Tech Museum or Main Street
5. Subject: Receive a presentation and provide feedback on Event Volunteer Program
Recommended Action: Receive a presentation and provide feedback on Event
Volunteer Program from Recreation Coordinator, Robert Kaufman.
Commissioner Feedback:
• In order to formalize the year-round volunteers process:
o Have an application process
o Have an onboarding process
o Give uniforms
o Work a certain number of events
o Give rewards for meeting certain number of volunteer hours
o Host a dinner
• Give motivation to become volunteer in the program:
o Titles and leadership positions
o Reward different levels of volunteerism (ie. Bronze, Silver, Gold)
o Give a shout out on social media if a certain level is achieved
• Ask for availability upfront
• Provide a calendar of events
• Provide mandatory dates
• Model an award after the Presidential Volunteer Award program, but just for
Cupertino:
Cupertino Teen Commission Minutes March 13, 2024
o Make it attainable
o Give some kind of recognition or honor
o Something with the mayor
o Something that can go on a college transcript
o Something that can separate a few from the bunch
o Something that requires follow through and consistent work to attain
• Examples of kinds of rewards:
o Bronze Level – Official email for their work
o Silver Level – Social media shout out with picture
o Gold Level – Social media shout out with an interview
• Allow for volunteer hours to accumulate from each program (ie. summer only
LIT hours are added to year-round volunteer hours)
• Develop a profile for each volunteer that tracks their hours
• If we required that all volunteers were in the overall program it might limit the
volunteers:
o Some might only be able to make a few events
o Volunteers in the program might bring other volunteers to events and get
them interested in the formal volunteer program
• Maybe require that volunteers need to volunteer for a certain number of events
or hours before applying for the program
• Maybe take applications at intervals during the year
• Would there be a minimum age?
o Yes, 14 years old
STAFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS
• Staff Updates
o Staff Report
Robert Kaufman gave an update on teen programs and events.
• Commissioner Updates
o No updates.
FUTURE AGENDA SETTING
No future agenda items were added.
ADJOURNMENT
At 7:40 p.m., Chair Shah adjourned the meeting.
Cupertino Teen Commission Minutes March 13, 2024
_______________________________
Sonya Lee, Staff Liaison