City internships aimed at ‘demystifying’ civic governance for youth

An intern gives a presentation at Edmonton City Hall on July 9, 2026, during the Civic Youth Fellowship Showcase. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton)

Interns in a civic program for youth from under-represented groups presented findings on Thursday from their experiences with public service.

The 20 members of this year’s Civic Youth Fellowship shared their wisdom from their 10-week immersion in several municipal departments at booths set up for a showcase at Edmonton City Hall.

The city said Thursday in a media release the participants worked on projects that included resource guides for resident support services, research into women’s housing and studies on youth transit ridership.

It said it “serves as a critical component of Edmonton’s broader commitment to anti-racism and inclusion, fostering more accessible pathways for civic engagement.”

Latif Jina, the city’s senior executive advisor for anti-racism, said one hope for the program, which is in its fourth year and has seen 70 people intern for it, is that it “demystifies civic governance for youth.”

“We hope that youth see civil service as a viable career path, something that they’re welcome into, and whether their voices may be heard,” Jina told CTV News Edmonton as the interns gave presentations at booths inside city hall.

The city said the internship lets participants expand their professional networks “while contributing lived experience and new ideas to municipal operations,” and “serves as a critical component of Edmonton’s broader commitment to anti-racism and inclusion, fostering more accessible pathways for civic engagement.”

Jina says city staff “probably benefit the most” from the program.

“While the internship is a great experience for the youth, I think the biggest beneficiary is the city,” he said. “We get the voices of the youth, we get to learn the way they think, and we get to incorporate the values and ways that they create different programs.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Klippenstein