Students and Youth are Powerful Decision Makers

Youth have the lived experience to be authentic contributors and agents of change in their educational experiences—and in all other aspects of their lives. We believe in their skills, inputs, and ideas, and seek to normalize youth power.

Institutions and organizations who make decisions for students and youth (e.g. districts, youth-serving nonprofits, political bodies) should provide them the agency to be decision makers in multi-generational spaces. This includes prioritizing the voices and experiences of Black and Brown youth across multiple facets of identity in conversations, initiatives, and policymaking that impact their lives to support their educational success.

“To build youth power, we have to build their agency and their ability to own their power. How do we practice with our young people starting at an early age to help them understand their power and how to use it?”