Family engagement doesn’t just include adults; youth are part of our families and have important insights to share. As the saying goes, “nothing about us, without us.”
Hailey Gundersen, a ninth-grade participant from Sand Point, recently traveled to Juneau to participate in the AASB’s Youth Advocacy Institute. She shares:
“YAI was my first time ever experiencing advocacy work in my life. I wanted to participate in YAI to learn new things, meet new people, and become more involved in leadership activities. One thing I learned about myself during YAI was that my voice is important. At first, I thought that important groups like the Legislators didn’t need my opinion to make their hard decisions. But I learned that they need to have opinions to make sure that everyone is happy and satisfied with their choices. My dad was my chaperone, and that was very fun. That was my first trip with him, and I am glad that we both got to experience YAI. Going to YAI interested me in more institutes, like [AASB’s Youth Leadership Institute]. So overall, YAI was a great learning experience for me, and has opened my eyes to more leadership opportunities and jobs.”
A total of 44 students in 8-12th grades from 17 Alaska school districts participated in AASB’s Youth Advocacy Institute in Juneau this past February. Students asked hard questions to Legislators, practiced testifying in front of a mock panel, talked with School Board members, and many chose to testify before the Joint Education Committee.
Students raised a range of key issues that are important to them. These included the need for (1) equitable and sustained school funding, (2) school maintenance and infrastructure upgrades, (3) increased access to cultural activities in school, and (4) mental health supports.
Ask your students what is going well and what changes they would like to see in your school and community: they have valuable insights and ideas to share.
To learn more about ways to engage youth and seek their perspectives, reach out to Lakrisha (Chookán) Brady at lbrady@aasb.org.