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Date: September 15, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Torrance Youth Council
Ted Stevens, Community Services Director
By: Cyndy Rosell, Supervising Administrative Assistant | [email protected] Subject: Torrance Youth Council and Community Services – Accept and File 2025-26 Torrance Youth Council Annual Report. Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the Torrance Youth Council and Community Services Director that City Council accept and file the 2025-26 Torrance Youth Council Annual Report.
FUNDING
None required.
DISCUSSION
The 2025-26 Annual Report, which summarizes the Torrance Youth Council’s activities from July 2025 through June 2026, is attached for the City Council’s information and review. The Torrance Youth Council approved this report at its meeting on August 19, 2026, and moved to request that it be accepted by the City Council.
ATTACHMENT
1. 2025-2026 Torrance Youth Council Annual Report
1 CITY OF TORRANCE
TORRANCE YOUTH COUNCIL COMMISSION
ANNUAL REPORT
202
5 -
202
6 PURPOSE OF
COMMISSION
:
The Torrance Youth Council (TYC) is composed of Torrance high school students whose purpose is to identify and
act
on problems affecting the youth of Torrance, as well as to advise and confer with City professional staff, various City Commissioners and City Council on such matters.
Members are
interviewed each June by a selection committee comprised of Community Services Department Commissioners and Youth Council Members and appointed by the City Council in August. The Youth Council
meets on
the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month, at 7
:00
p.m., in the West Annex
Commission Meeting Room
at City
Hall. All meetings are open to the public and youth are encouraged to address the Youth Council on matters of concern to the Youth in the community.
202
5 -
202
6 MEMBERS OF THE TORRANCE YOUTH COUNCIL
:
Aidan Alzayat
Member
Tanner Donald
Member
Kyeongmin Ra
Secretary
Kaya Ahn
Member
Nathan Han
Member
Ananya Rege
Member
J
e
anette Berga
Vice Chair
Fibiana Hanoun
Historian
Zoey Rosen
Member
Celine Chang
Chair
Jubin Hong
Member
Priyanshu Sharma
SOA
Kaylee Cho
Historian
Jayden Kim
Member
Cori Song
Historian
Nicole Choi
Historian
Gwyneth Leys
Member
Aanya Tripathi
Historian
During 202
5 -
202
6 , eighteen (18) Youth Council members
continued
the excellent tradition of their
predecessors, by representing the voice of the Youth of Torrance. New faces, various cultures, new ideas and an amazing amount of energy of these talented members played a key role in turning ideas into successful realiti
es for the Torrance Community.
HIGHLIGHTS OF 202
5 –
202
6 PROGAMS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
:
Throughout the year, this diverse assembly of youth became a cohesive group, which began at their Annual Team Building Workshop on August
25 , 202
5 . Each got the
opportunity to get
to know each
other through leadership games and activities.
The Senior Events Committee:
Aiming to foster greater connection and interactions between the youth and senior citizens of Torrance, the Youth Council organized and implemented Senior Tech Days, student
-
led events held on
selected
Saturday
mornings
of every month at the Bartlett Senior Center
beginning
November
of 202
5 . TYC members, along with student volunteers from various Torrance high schools, were paired up with senior citizens to help resolve issues or uncertainties related to technology.
Senior citizens were able to bring their electronic devices and develop new skills under the guidance
of high school students, whether this was learning how to download the latest update on their cell phones or getting a refresher course on how to utilize certain applications. In return, the students were able to experience meanin
gful interactions with the senior citizen residents of Torrance. This recurring ATTACHMENT 1
2 event was enjoyed by both demographics as it allowed them to socialize with each other monthly and contributed to creating a more tightly knit community.
In January 2026, the Torrance Youth Council Commission hosted its Senior Talent Show, bringing together students from Torrance high schools to perform for older adults at the Bartlett Senior Center.
This beloved program, which returned in 2025, continued to be a welcomed highlight for the senior community. The Commission looks forward to continuing the event and expanding it in the years to come.
Youth Forum: The Youth Forum is one of the key events hosted by the Youth Commission to promote civic engagement among young people in the community. This year, the event was held on Monday, March 9, 2026, at the ATTIC Teen Center from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. It brought together youth from across Torrance to raise their voices and discuss current events and issues that matter to them.
To kick things off, the committee invited a guest speaker, Chloe Kang, a former City of Torrance Youth Council Commissioner who passionately advocated for youth programs and community engagement.
She delivered a motivational speech and set an energetic tone for the evening. Mayor Chen attended and offered a warm welcome to participants, followed by remarks from Councilmember K alani, who praised the program’s impact on teens.
Debate topics covered during the event included:
• “You should prioritize what you love rather than what guarantees success.” • “It is better to chase an uncertain dream than build a stable life.” • “Luck is more important than talent to become successful.”
The goal was to create a fun, relaxed atmosphere where teens felt comfortable speaking up, making connections, and gaining new perspectives.
The committee met prior to each regularly scheduled Commission meeting to plan the event — discussing logistics, choosing group topics, coordinating a guest speaker, and even selecting snacks.
ASB Bowl: The 2026 ASB Bowl was held on Thursday, April 23, at the ATTIC Teen Center, entirely run and facilitated by the ASB Bowl Committee of the Torrance Youth Council. During the ASB Bowl, ASB members from all four Torrance high schools and CAMS came to compete against each other’s ASB in small games and activities. This year’s ASB Bowl theme referenced the movie “Alice and Wonderland,” and each school was assigned a character from the movie with a color that closely resembled their school colors. For example, North High was Alice, CAMS High was the Rabbit, etc. The Youth Council started the event by introducing the Youth Council members to the attendees from all the schools and then presented them with a schedule of events for the night. Each school’s ASB member dressed in their school colors as they competed in themed games from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
The fun kicked off with an Icebreaker Game, followed by a Scavenger Hunt where teams from each school solved riddles to find hidden clues throughout the ATTIC Teen Center. Next came the Relay Race Game, in which member teams from each school had to unscramble letters earned by winning various activities. The night wrapped up with an Iced Tea Guessing Game, where blindfolded participants tried to identify the brand and flavor of different tea.
The Youth Council provided dinner and refreshments for everyone in attendance, and they also kept score for each game, tallying the points at the end. After all the games and activities were completed, California Academy of Math and Science (CAMS) High School earned the most points and claimed victory, making them the 2026 Champions! As a prize, CAMS High School students took home the ASB Bowl Perpetual Trophy.
3 Beat the Odds Scholarship : The scholarship is awarded to graduating seniors who attend a City of Torrance High School who demonstrated academic excellence and played a vital role in the community despite the obstacles they had to overcome. The youth council members, alongside a representative from the Library Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission and the Commission on Aging, met to review each application on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. A total of eighteen applications were accepted from students attending Torrance High School, South High School, North High School, Cherry High School, Bishiop Montgomery High School and West High School during this year's application process.
During this year's discussion, three individuals were selected and awarded $1,000 each for their strength, determination, and accomplishments. After applicants were notified of their acceptance, the TYC committee invited them to attend the award ceremony, which was held on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. The winners received a plaque to honor their achievement during the ceremony after sharing their future endeavors with the attendees. The award ceremony was held at the ATTIC Teen Center and was decorated to match the theme of " Harry Potter". The attendees were provided with dinner, desserts and light refreshments.
Happy to Chat / ATTIC Advisory/Little Free Library Committee: This committee is responsible for communicating with the ATTIC Advisory Committee (AAC) by attending their monthly meetings and noting what occurs while providing input to a ny decisions the committee may make. Additionally, committee members inform the rest of the TYC about upcoming events at the ATTIC Teen Center, along with advertising their events at their schools. Committee members are also responsible for monitoring the Happy to Chat Bench and the Little Free Library located at Hickory Park which aims to encourage conversations and connections between visitors. The 2025/2026 committee members visited the bench and library every two weeks to encourage participation from park patrons and ensure the library was stocked with books.
Publicity Committee: The publicity committee promoted events and opportunities that the Torrance Youth Council organized using various platforms. Whether through physical and digital flyers, social media posts on the Torrance Recreation Instagram account, or by notifying the college counselors and staff at their respective schools, the committee strived to bring about more awareness and participation among the youth of Torrance. In addition, the committee organized and prepared the annual TYC Yearbook that was then presented at the last commission meeting on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at the West Annex Commission Meeting Room.
CONCLUSION
The Youth Council is grateful to the City Council for their continued support of Torrance youth, as well as to the Community Services Departments Commissions.
Respectfully submitted,
Celine Chang, Chairperson
2025-2026 Youth Council
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