EDISON — The Edison Youth Service Corps may see a comeback.
As a high school student in Edison, Councilman Sam Joshi said the Edison Youth Service Corps afforded him an opportunity to engage with public service at a young age.
Fast forward years later, and Joshi, 28, is serving his first term on the Edison Township Council. He has been politically involved in the township since 2004.
“The program was discontinued right before the recession [in 2008],” he said at a council meeting on Jan. 8.
The Edison Youth Service Corps program was funded through a Community Development Block Grant and placed 10 students from Edison High School and 10 students from J.P. Stevens High School students at various departments in Town Hall.
“I think it is important to bring that back and foster that type of community aspect,” Joshi said, adding that he was placed in the senior department when he was part of the program.
Joshi said the snowstorm on Jan. 11 reminded him of the different things that are going around the state where the youth are involved in public service, whether it be shoveling snow for the seniors or helping township officials shovel the snow.
“The township needs to facilitate more opportunities to foster volunteerism for the youth,” he said. “I think the youth really need to get involved, I hope in the next few months we can work on that.”
Contact Kathy Chang at kchang@newspapermediagroup.com.
