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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTC 1-14-2026 MinutesMINUTES CUPERTINO TEEN COMMISSION Wednesday, January 14, 2026 At 6:01 p.m. Chair Anushree Misra called the regular Teen Commission meeting to order at the Quinlan Conference Room, 10185 North Stelling Road and via teleconference. ROLL CALL Chair Anushree Misra, Vice Chair Harly Liu, and Commissioners Rusheel Deshmukh, Jonathan Gao, Saanvi Halambi (arrived at the meeting at 6:03 p.m.), Sumedha Kumar, Chelsea Lau (arrived at the meeting at 6:02 p.m.), Vinay Prakash, and Brianna Su. Absent: None. CEREMONIAL MATTERS AND PRESENTATIONS 1.Subject: Sports and Fitness Division Presentation Recommended Action: Receive a presentation on the Sports and Fitness Division from Recreation Manager, Alex Corbalis. Recreation Manager Alex Corbalis gave a presentation. Commissioners asked questions which staff responded to. Chair Misra opened the public comment period and, seeing no one, closed the public comment period. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 2.Subject: Approval of Minutes - November 12, 2025 Recommended Action: Review and approve the minutes from the Teen Commission meeting on November 12, 2025. Chair Misra opened the public comment period and, seeing no one, closed the public comment period. MOTION: Prakash moved and Kumar seconded to approve the November 12, 2025 Teen Commission meeting minutes. The motion carried with the following vote: Ayes: Misra, Liu, Deshmukh, Gao, Halambi, Kumar, Lau, Prakash, Su. Noes: None. Abstain: None. Absent: None. Teen Commission Minutes January 14, 2026 POSTPONEMENTS – None ORAL COMMUNICATIONS – None WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS - None OLD BUSINESS – None NEW BUSINESS 3. Subject: Youth Led Organization Highlight Program Recommended Action: Discuss and provide feedback on current Youth Led Organization Highlight Program. Recreation Manager Sonya Lee gave a presentation. Commissioners asked questions which staff responded to. Commissioners made the following recommendations: • Make the YLO highlight program provide more meaningful recognition than social media posts, such as certificates, city endorsements, letters of commendation, in- person recognition, or video features. • Increase prestige and selectivity to boost interest and applications, with ideas including limiting recognition, creating tiers, and offering annual or standout awards. • Expand and clearly communicate eligibility to include school-based clubs (not only nonprofits), while maintaining an application and screening process to ensure community impact. • Prioritize outreach with emphasis on promotion through school ASBs, newsletters, advisors, and direct outreach within schools. • Improve publicity methods—especially by using short videos or reels to increase engagement and visibility for youth organizations and the Teen Commission. Chair Misra opened the public comment period and, seeing no one, closed the public comment period. 4. Subject: Teen Commission Role in Promoting Teen Programs Recommended Action: Discuss how Teen Commissioners can promote Teen Programs in the community. Teen Commission Minutes January 14, 2026 Recreation Manager Sonya Lee gave a presentation. Commissioners made the following recommendations: • Serve as a bridge between City initiatives and the teen community. • Be intentional about outreach by identifying target audiences and determining the most effective ways to communicate information. • Include a clear outreach-related action item at the end of each meeting. • Utilize personal social media stories to help spread information. • Consider creating short, scripted videos to highlight programs such as the YLO Highlight Program. • Share Teen Commission contact information (including email addresses) at events such as Town Halls. • Ensure outreach planning is consistently incorporated into future Teen Commission meetings. Chair Misra opened the public comment period and, seeing no one, closed the public comment period. STAFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS Recreation Coordinator Robert Kaufman reported on recent and upcoming youth and community events, including a successful teen speaker series in November and multiple December holiday events such as the community tree lighting, Breakfast with Santa, Santa Visits, and an ASL-accessible Santa event. He highlighted upcoming opportunities in January and February, including the Cupertino Spelling Bee, Sweetheart Social on February 7, and a Teen Movie Night on February 20. Looking ahead to spring, he outlined major events with volunteer and speaking opportunities, including the annual 5K on March 7, the Teen Resource Fair on March 21, and Earth Day on April 4, noting that participation assignments will be finalized and communicated in the coming month. FUTURE AGENDA SETTING – Commissioners added the following future agenda items. • Receive an update on the YLO program and continue discussion on feasible next steps, particularly regarding expanding recognition. (Misra) ADJOURNMENT Teen Commission Minutes January 14, 2026 At 7:52 p.m. Chair Misra adjourned the Regular Teen Commission meeting. Minutes prepared by: Lindsay Nelson, Administrative Assistant