The San Mateo County Youth Commission (SMCYC) is a youth-led, advisory board to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. SMCYC is looking for passionate young people between the ages of 13 and 21 who reside in San Mateo County (SMC), to join a strong, energetic group of youth dedicated to making a difference in our community. As a Youth Commissioner, you can improve the lives of all young people throughout SMC, offer youth perspective on important issues facing our community, and work directly with the Board of Supervisors and County departments as a leader and voice for youth in the county.
Please review our website for more information: https://www.smcgov.org/ceo/youth-commission.
If you have any concerns or questions about the SMCYC or application, please reach out to the SMCYC program coordinator:
Jei Horca, jhorca@smcgov.org
Please review the Youth Commission 2026-27 Calendar for a detailed calendar of the 2026-27 SMCYC meetings. Meetings are typically held on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month from 6pm to 8pm. Regular and Executive meetings are in person in Redwood City. Workgroup meetings will be held virtually. Please note that attendance of the Fall Retreat (August 4th and 5th, 9am-4pm daily) is mandatory.
As a Youth Commissioner, you will be required to serve on a SMCYC Ad-Hoc Subcommittee working on a project throughout the year. As a committee member, you will attend at least one Workgroup Meeting per month as listed in the 2026-27 SMCYC calendar and should also expect to devote additional time to Ad-Hoc Subcommittee projects.
In addition, Youth Commissioners will have the optional opportunity to apply to serve as a Youth Liaison to another advisory board or commission to the Board of Supervisors. Serving as a liaison requires attending the other commission’s meetings (usually 1 meeting per month) and working on projects with that commission.
Assignments for committee and liaison roles will be decided during the August and September SMCYC meetings.
Commissioners must attend the regular and workgroup meetings of the SMCYC and all committees, whether standing or ad hoc, to which they are appointed. If a member has more than two (2) consecutive absences at meetings, and/or four (4) absences over the course of the term, they will be subject to removal, which is done by an Executive Board recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.
Attendance will be monitored, and an up-to-date list of commissioners and their attendance will be publicly available. The Youth Commission places high value on attendance and expects Commissioners to be actively involved.
If transportation or other barriers exist that would impact attendance at regular meetings, please contact the SMCYC program coordinators (listed at the top of the application) prior to completing the application to discuss options. We are committed to having a diverse regional representation on the Youth Commission.
Please note: You will need to complete the application in one session (you will not be able to save and return to your application). We recommend preparing your essay responses outside of the application and pasting them into the essay fields. Click here for a PDF of all essay questions in the application.
If you have any questions about this application or require assistance, please contact the SMCYC program coordinators (listed at the top of the application).
This application opened on Monday, March 16, 2026 and is due by Sunday, May 3, 2026 (5PM). Initial applications will be screened by program staff, and Youth Commissioner Chair/Vice Chair and interviews will be scheduled for June 1st-5th, 2026. Interviews are expected to be in person.
Please note that attendance of the Fall Retreat (August 4th and 5th) is mandatory.
The application consists of the following sections: