Supporting Youth Participation in School Reform

Preliminary Notes from a University-Community Partnership

Abstract

*Youth and School Transformation | Reports from the Field

Youth voice and participation have become popular slogans in the United States. However, too often presentations by youth groups result in pleasant, but ultimately toothless, responses from policymakers. This paper describes the early stages of a partnership between a university researcher and a community organization that helps high school students learn tools that will enable them to participate, as legitimate political actors, in decisions about school reform. The report identifies the goals of the partnership, discusses steps taken so far, and shares some of the assumptions and strategies guiding the work.