WATERLOO — The Waterloo Youth City Council met with 54 legislators at the Iowa Capitol on March 30 to advocate for House File 2294.
The legislation requires the inclusion of the telephone and text numbers for the Your Life Iowa suicide prevention and mental health hotline on the back of all public school identification cards. The youth council’s mission is to explore, communicate, and provide for the needs, problems, issues and activities affecting Waterloo’s young people.
Waterloo’s youth council plans to advocate for teen mental health issues on trip to Iowa Capitol
Over the past two years the group has focused those efforts on youth mental health. Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, D-Waterloo, recognized the students’ passion around youth mental health and invited them to help advocate for this legislation at the Capitol.
The youth council developed sample identification cards in coordination with Your Life Iowa to present to legislators. In addition to the phone and text numbers, the members leveraged technology to include a QR code on the cards.
According to a news release, Waterloo Youth City Council members had legislators try out the QR code with their phones while highlighting the mental health statistics for youth. After leaving the House floor, the youth council members continued their meetings with local Democratic senators Bill Dotzler, of Waterloo and Eric Giddens of Cedar Falls. The students finished their day eating lunch with local Democratic representatives Bob Kressig of Cedar Falls; Brown-Powers; Ras Smith of Waterloo; and Dave Williams of Cedar Falls, before touring the capitol.
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Cedar Falls High School Team 525 members Sean Radke, Mila Haynes and Kylie Buchholz run their robot in competition on Friday during the FIRST Robotics Competition at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
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The Waterloo Unity 4 Tech team, featuring East an West High students, runs their robot in competition on Friday during the FIRST Robotics Competition at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
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Cedar Falls High School Team 525 members Mila Haynes, Sean Radke and Kylie Buchholz trade high fives before running their robot in competition on Friday during the FIRST Robotics Competition at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
FIRST Robotics Competition – 6
Cedar Falls High School Team 525 members Ethan Strohm, Sean Radke and Mila Haynes load up their robot between matches on Friday during the FIRST Robotics Competition at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
FIRST Robotics Competition – 7
Cedar Falls High School Team 525 members Sean Radke, Mila Haynes and Kylie Buchholz run their robot in competition on Friday during the FIRST Robotics Competition at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
FIRST Robotics Competition – 8
The Columbus Catholic robotics team The Coded Collective celebrates after a strong finish during a match on Friday at the FIRST Robotics Competition at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
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