Tampa, September 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Sartaaj Singh, a Sikh student at Middleton High School, has been selected for the City of Tampa’s Mayor’s Youth Corps Class of 2026, a year-long civic leadership programme that gives young people an opportunity to engage with the mayor, city officials and local government while taking part in community service and leadership development.
Singh is among up to 40 students selected for the programme. Applicants go through a selection process that includes application reviews and interviews.
“Being selected for the Mayor’s Youth Corps represents a full-circle moment for me,” Singh said. “I went from moving to Tampa as a newcomer to now having the opportunity to represent Tampa’s youth and potentially the Sikh community within Tampa’s civic institutions.”
Singh moved from Chicago to Tampa in 2019 and has remained actively involved in the Sikh community. He has attended the Tennessee Gurmat Camp for the past 10 years and has served as a camp counsellor for four years, helping younger Sikh students learn about their faith and traditions.
He has also taught fellow students and younger children how to tie turbans and has competed several times at the international level in the Sikh Youth Symposium. Singh said these experiences strengthened his interest in mentorship, representation and community leadership.
According to Singh, he is the first Sikh to serve in Tampa’s Mayor’s Youth Corps. His selection gives him an opportunity to contribute as a young Tampa resident while also bringing the presence of Sikh youth into the city’s civic institutions.
Tampa’s Mayor’s Youth Corps provides participants with an opportunity to learn how local government functions, interact with civic leaders and serve their community. Similar youth councils, commissions and mayoral leadership programmes operate in cities across the United States.
Singh’s selection also highlights opportunities for Sikh youth to participate in civic life alongside academics, sports and school activities. Such programmes can help young people develop leadership, communication and public-service skills while encouraging greater Sikh participation in the wider community.
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