At the Sept. 15 Recreation Advisory Board meeting, staff said the village manager was directed to start a program requiring high school students from Royal Palm Beach High School to attend municipal meetings as part of an engagement effort.

Mister Pawlowski (staff member) said the program requires participating students to attend two Recreation Advisory Board meetings during the year, and also to observe village council, education advisory and planning and zoning meetings. "So she's our first 1 in person," Pawlowski said of the student who attended the Sept. 15 meeting.

Pawlowski said the purpose of the program is to expose students to real-time municipal proceedings rather than a fabricated mock council exercise. The board welcomed the student and noted the initiative is intended to give high school participants direct experience with local government meetings.