Picture this: A region with lots of sidewalks, scores of mixed-use communities, new transit options, luscious forests and trails on the banks of an urban river, and a sharp reduction in the homeless population. For Atlanta, it is merely a dream. But, in the minds of about 40 high school students, it is a vision of the future.

In an effort to incorporate the youth of the region in planning the city’s future, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) – the official planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta Region – in conjunction with the state YMCA of Georgia, established a dynamic leadership program called the Model Atlanta Regional Commission (MARC). It is designed to involve and inform metro Atlanta high school students about key issues affecting the Atlanta region. The participants are selected based on academic merit, extracurricular activities and a written essay. Now in its third year, the Model Atlanta Regional Commission includes students representing all 10 counties in the regions.

“The MARC program provides an opportunity to engage high school students in regional thinking,” said Anne Dishman, ARC coordinator of MARC. “The students come together with some knowledge of their home county, but don’t think of it as a part of a bigger picture.”

The pilot program began in October 1998 and included six Saturday morning meetings held at ARC and other venues around the region. Its 39 participants currently mirror the composition of ARC’s Board – with future plans to expand to include more youth directly. Any student enrolled in grades 10 and 11 is eligible to apply for selection in the program. Each student’s eligibility is based upon nomination by the student’s school and selection by a committee made up of representatives from ARC and the State YMCA.

In the first three months of the six-month program, the MARC participants are introduced to the past, present, and future regional issues by both community and ARC leaders. The students learn about the challenges of transportation, air quality, human services, land use, water supply and quality, as well as a regional planning agency’s structure and function in the region.

In the final three months of the program, the students further explore these regional issues by forming committees and developing possible solutions to regional challenges. Their last meeting is a mock ARC Board Meeting in which they present and vote on resolutions drafted to create a stronger, healthier Atlanta Region. The resolutions are then presented by the students at the official ARC meeting for the Board’s consideration. The six months of hands-on learning, research, and personal commitment are evident in the proposals set forth by the MARC participants. Here are just a few examples:

* To combat air pollution around Atlanta Region Schools by offering incentive programs to students to carpool or take the school bus.

* To develop a plan in which all governments in the Atlanta Region adopt a consistent water pricing policy that either maintains a flat pricing rate or levies a surcharge on excessive water usage.

* To develop a sidewalk plan for each county to be funded through the counties whose citizens vote in favor of a tax increase to cover the expenses of sidewalk construction.

* To create community centers to serve as central gathering places for neighborhoods and serve the following functions: special activities, public meetings, after-school services, educational benefits, and socialization benefits.

“We want to remind you to tap into one of your most important resources, the youth,” Edgar Pagan, a 1999-2000 MARC participant told the ARC Board. “Not only can we help now, but one day we’ll be the ones continuing your legacy of hard work and dedication to the Atlanta Region.”