About

Becoming a Mt. Lebanon Junior Commissioner or Junior Board Member is a great way to learn more about how local government operates and to see whether you might be interested in a career in public service. A Junior Commissioner or Board Member also has the opportunity to convey student concerns/opinions to the elected officials and to educate fellow high school students about issues facing the community.

The Junior Commissioner must live in Mt. Lebanon and be a junior or first-semester senior in any public, private or home school. Applicants must have a grade point average of at least 2.5. The Junior Commissioner will serve for one semester (September-December and February-May). Junior Board Members serve for the school year. Like Junior Commissioners, they must be Mt. Lebanon residents and go to any public, private or home school. However, junior board members can be sophomores, juniors or seniors.

Applications are due each year by July 8. Read the below requirements. A link to the application is at the bottom of the page.

Junior Commissioners

Candidates must be rising juniors or seniors at any public, private or home school. Two students will be selected, one for each semester. The junior commissioner will attend public meetings each month and may attend advisory board meetings or shadow department heads. Junior commissioners report at Commission meetings on notable high school activities and issues. If applicable, they also report to their high school student council on municipal matters. Here’s an outline of the position:

Summary

Becoming the Mt. Lebanon Junior Commissioner is a great way to learn more about how local government operates and to see whether you might be interested in a career in public service. A Junior Commissioner also has the opportunity to convey student concerns/ opinions to the elected officials and to educate fellow high school students about issues facing the community.

Duties

Attend Commission Meetings
Give a brief report to the Commission on student activities/concerns at each Commission meeting
Make reports to the high school student council about municipal government initiatives

Term

The Commission appoints two Junior Commissioners per school year (one for the Fall semester and one for the Spring semester).

Staff Involvement

The Public Information Officer leads the Junior Commissioner program and provides background information on current issues to the Junior Commissioner.

Junior Board Members

Candidates must be Mt. Lebanon residents and can be sophomores, juniors or seniors at any public, private or home school. Students will be selected based on board availability and student interest. Here’s an outline of the positions:

Summary

Mt. Lebanon has an excellent group of citizens who volunteer their time as part of our Advisory Boards. We are looking to foster connections between our youth and our volunteer board members to provide opportunities for mentoring and to learn about local initiatives. This pilot program is for high school students who have an interest in a particular field. Mt. Lebanon has 9 Advisory Boards in this program and students with a specific interest will have the opportunity to attend meetings of a specific Municipal Board. A complete list of Boards and their descriptions are available here. The Commission will appoint Junior Board members based on noted areas of interest from the applicants. Given the number of Boards and Authorities and the variety of subjects covered, every Board may not have a Junior Board Member each year.

Duties

Attend Board meetings and participate in conversations and discussion

Term

The Commission will appoint Junior Board members to a term of either one or two semesters at the discretion of the Commission. Given that some Boards only meet quarterly, the Commission may choose to appoint a Junior Board member to one of those Boards to two semesters rather than one in order to give the student ample learning opportunities.

Staff Involvement

The Staff Liaisons to each Municipal Board and Authority will be informed if their Board has been assigned a Junior Board Member for the upcoming semester. The Staff member will include the Junior Board Member in meeting notices sent out to the Board and provide the student with an opportunity during each meeting to give a report to the Board.

Students interested in either position must fill out an application by July 8 each year. With that application, students must include a brief letter of recommendation (from an adult other than a family member.)

For more information, students may email Laura Pace Lilley or call (412) 343-3552.

Apply to be Junior Commissioner/Junior Board Member

Applications are closed for the 2024-25 school year. Don’t forget to submit your letter of recommendation to Laura Lilley.