All high school residents of Palo Alto are invited to attend the community event Ignite to have fun and interact with other students. – Alicia GregoryAs a response to many students’ requests at the 2010 Palo Alto Youth Forum, the Youth Collaborative will hold a community event and dance this Friday at the Lucie Stern Community Center for all high school students in the Palo Alto Unified School District.

“The city as well as other non-profits have put a lot of work into organizing the dance to try and create a space where you all can relax and have a good time,” said Alicia Gregory, programs director of Youth Community Service.

The event, Ignite, will run from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m and will not only consist of a dance but will also offer a diverse variety of activities including live music, food, a bounce house and more, according to Chirag Krishna, President of Palo Alto Youth Council.

Paly students can buy tickets for $5 on the quad today and tomorrow, or at the door for $10, according to Krishna.

The Youth Collaborative is a group of non-profits, city staff, business leaders, public safety officers and youth, who aim to address requests from the youth in the community.

Ignite will be the first major event of its kind in Palo Alto to show how much Palo Alto values the youth voice, according to Gregory. It will set a precedent for future events that youth and adults will organize together to build a more youth-centered Palo Alto.

The success of Ignite will be very important partly because it is the first collaborative effort between many different organizations, businesses, individuals and youth to organize this event, according to Gregory.

“It is definitely important that students show up because this will confirm that there is a need for more student events,” Gregory said.

The Youth Collaborative has set a desired attendance of 500 to 750 high school students.

“Please spread the word about the event, if it is poorly attended then there will be no further events of its kind again,” Gregory said.