Local Basking Ridge Student Chosen to Serve on YMCA of the USA Youth Advisory Council
Basking Ridge, NJ, February 21st, 2025— Greater Somerset County YMCA is proud of local Ridge High School sophomore, Beth Higgins, who has
been chosen to serve on the 2025 Youth Advisory Council with YMCA of the USA (Y-USA). Beth will join other council members across the country to assist Y-USA with amplifying and prioritizing youth voice in organizational strategic decision-making. “I’m very honored to have been selected to the Youth Advisory Council and look forward to working with the other members as representatives of the youth in our community,” shared Beth.
Y-USA, the national resource office for the 2,600 YMCAs across the country, launched the Youth Advisory Council in 2023. This council is comprised of 21 young individuals, ranging in age from 16 to 24, from across the country. The council’s role is to advise and support the Y-USA CEO, Executive Team and National Board on emerging issues, opportunities, programs, priorities and strategic decision-making, with a goal of ensuring that the Y remains relevant at the local, state, national and global level.
Nationwide, only 3.8% of YMCA board members are under the age of 30. As a youth-serving organization, the Y has a mandate to move the needle on the representation of young people on its governing boards. The strategy behind the Youth Advisory Council is to shift the paradigm and recognize young people as active contributors rather than passive recipients of programs and services.
As a member for the February 2025 – February 2026 term, Higgins commits to providing input and applying a youth lens to emerging issues; working with Y-USA leadership to further develop the structure of the Youth Advisory Council; advocating for more youth representation on local, national and global Y initiatives; serving as strategic thought partners to the Y-USA CEO, Executive Team and National Board; electing a youth representative to serve on Y-USA’s National Board and much more.
“We are very proud of Beth for being chosen to participate in the 2025 Youth Advisory Council for Y-USA,” said David M. Carcieri, President & Chief Executive Officer. “This was an incredibly competitive process, and her contributions to our local Basking Ridge community exemplifies why she is deserving of this opportunity. The Y believes that young people have the power to change the world, and we are excited to watch how she learns to lead positive change locally, nationally and globally.”
Some of Higgins’s Basking Ridge contributions included being a committed swimmer on her YMCA and high school team. She also volunteers as a swim instructor at the YMCA. When she is not poolside, she enjoys all mediums of art and reading on the beach.
In 2025, the Youth Advisory Council also elected its first member to sit on the YMCA National Board of Directors. Elijah “Eli” Cooper, Kentucky YMCA Youth Association, will serve as a non-voting member and will help prioritize youth voice within strategic decision-making opportunities at the national board level.
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About Greater Somerset County YMCA
Greater Somerset County YMCA is a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community by connecting all people to their potential, purpose, and each other. The Y empowers everyone—no matter who they are or where they’re from—by ensuring access to resources, relationships, and opportunities for all to learn, grow, and thrive. For more information about Greater Somerset County YMCA and financial assistance, visit www.gscymca.org.