FEMA Seeks Teen Standouts in U.S. Virgin Islands to Be Voices for Youth Preparedness

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – FEMA is looking for students in grades eight to 11 in the U.S. Virgin Islands who are steadfast about navigating a path toward leadership in their community to apply for an opportunity to join the Youth Preparedness Council. The council brings teens together from across the nation who are interested in preparedness and looking to develop networks that will feed their success into the future.

Council members serve a one-year term that starts July 2025. During their term, council members collaborate virtually with each other to develop projects that promote preparedness on a local and national scale. Members also engage with leaders within FEMA, the federal government, and national nonprofit organizations. The council demonstrates FEMA’s commitment to involve America’s youth in preparedness-related activities. 

Proposals for projects from previous council members include:

• Designing a graphic novel for children to explain the effects of a changing climate,
• Developing the framework for support groups aimed at young people who have experienced disasters,
• Creating a book designed to help young people understand decision making during disasters.

“The Youth Preparedness Council provides a springboard for teenagers in the U.S. Virgin Islands to build leadership skills, enable creative minds to foster preparedness in their community, and gives students opportunities to stand out among their peers,” said Aaron VanDoren, Acting Coordinator for FEMA’s U.S. Virgin Islands Caribbean Area Office. “We look forward to working with aspiring leaders in the Virgin Islands who will offer creative mindsets as we navigate a landscape to prepare for all hazards in the USVI.”

Teens interested in applying to the council must submit a completed application form and provide two letters of recommendation. All applications and supporting materials must be submitted no later than March 3, 2025. New council members will be announced in June 2025. Learn more about the council and application requirements at the Youth Preparedness Council page on FEMA.gov.

FEMA will host two webinars for potential applicants on Jan. 30, 2025, 9 p.m. AST and Feb. 11, 2025, 6 p.m. AST.