University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service graduate Amie Alexander, who is a concurrent student at the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, worked in collaboration with the Association of Arkansas Counties to study the needs of Arkansas Counties interested in implementing County Youth Councils as part of her final Capstone project. The project, titled, “County Youth Councils for Tomorrow’s Leaders,” was presented in April at Sturgis Hall.
Using information gathered from the perspectives of these county officials and stakeholders, Alexander developed a toolkit of resources for these county officials. In creating this toolkit, Alexander hopes that creating a youth council will be more accessible and manageable, leading to successful County Youth Councils which foster civic education, deepen the discussion of local policy issues, and develop leadership and public service values in future community leaders.
“The Association of Arkansas Counties is attuned to the increasing disconnect between the students in our state and county government. To have a student the caliber of Amie Alexander approach this issue with a fresh vision and new ideas has resulted in a fantastic and pragmatic way to combat this problem,” said Chris Villines, Executive Director of the Association of Arkansas Counties. “We believe we can utilize her findings and recommendations to bridge this gap.”
“It has been rewarding as I watch her attention to detail and grasp of the problem,” Villines continued. “As a result of her work, she has crafted a sustainable solution that gives us a chance to educate Arkansas’ students on the societal interaction that plays out between county government and society. I look forward to the implementation of her ideas as we work to improve civic education in this state, and I applaud Amie as well as the Clinton School of Public Service for the opportunity this provides the counties of Arkansas.”
Alexander’s first-year experience at the Clinton School involved working with the Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation to interview cooperative members about the changes in their families, homes, and communities when they received electricity. From these interviews, Alexander and her teammates constructed a case study and a series of videos on the social and economic impact of rural electrification in Arkansas.
Last summer, Alexander traveled to Tokyo, Japan for her International Public Service Project with the Foreign Agricultural Service, which links U.S. agriculture to the world to enhance agricultural export opportunities and global food security.
Alexander, who grew up in Waldron, Ark., earned her bachelor’s degree in agriculture, food, and life sciences at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. She is currently pursuing a concurrent juris doctor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. She has worked on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review, where she has written on the compelling need for broadband deployment in rural Arkansas and its similarities with the struggle for rural electrification. Upon graduation, she intends to work in agricultural law, trade, and rural development policy.
She is the recipient of the 2017-18 recipient of the B.A. Rudolph Scholarship. This scholarship is annually awarded by the B.A. Rudolph Foundation, a Washington D.C.-based charitable nonprofit whose mission is to advance and benefit young women interested in public service through educational, financial, and professional support.
Originally published by the Clinton School of Public Service. Reprinted with permission.
