Elevating Youth Voice: Tips for Getting Student Input
Tyler Breen, AASB Community Engagement Educator
“Students tend to succeed more when they’re shown support by peers, teachers, school board members, elders, and the community. Coming together and supporting one another helps everyone get on with their plans.” – Carrah, youth speaker at YLI 2019.
Whether you are a school board member, superintendent, teacher, or a caring adult to youth, we all have the goal of supporting our students to become their best selves. Connecting with students and incorporating their perspectives is an important step in providing that support.
However, currently only 35% of students in Alaska reported that they are involved in helping to solve school problems (School Climate and Connectedness Survey, 2021 student responses).
As districts look for new, imaginative, and innovative ways to get youth input, AASB is here to help support you in elevating youth voice.
Deepening your youth input strategies. Some questions and ideas for getting started:
Who do you want to involve?
- Which students are most likely to share their voice in a group setting? Whose voice is missing? What are ways to bring forward more voices?
- Who are the other adults that students already have relationships with that can create a bridge for reaching out to them?
What are the most important areas for input?
- What key decisions can students help with?
- What topics or processes could really use feedback from students?
How can you get quality input?
- What skills can we help students develop early that can build up their comfort with sharing their perspectives?
- How do you set up student-centered conversations and input structures?
- What incentives can help students engage?
Where and When to Reach Students
- Students are really busy. Try to reach them where they already are. We ask a lot of our students. Between school, clubs, sports, and after school activities, many students feel that they just don’t have the time to engage and give feedback for support. It’s hard to reach them because they don’t have much free time. Where are the places that districts might be able to incorporate youth voice and feedback that reaches students where they already are?
- First period, home room, clubs, sports, or classroom conversations all present some great opportunities to incorporate student feedback. Basketball games can be especially helpful for connecting to students and families. If students are already involved here, then a few moments of this time won’t come across as another obligation for them to coordinate on top of what might already be a busy schedule.
- In many communities cultural classes, community events/dinners, celebrations, and subsistence activities are a great time to connect with students and their families.
- Reach out to the Tribes and local nonprofits to collaborate, especially if they have after school groups or other youth supporting programs. Tribes can also help provide great insight into what families are experiencing.
Ultimately, students are most likely to give honest feedback and contribute their voice in an environment where they feel safe, with supportive adults who they trust. Building relationships with your students as individuals is how you can build trust and create a supportive environment. Providing students with supportive adult mentors and a safe environment puts them in a situation where they can more easily take advantage of opportunities.
AWARE, a Juneau nonprofit organization, and students worked together to develop and design a youth messaging campaign. Students wanted students to see these key messages: “You belong here”, “i tóo yéi yatee or it is within you”, and “I am here to listen.”
The Juneau messages have been transformed into messages and artwork that is displayed in the school.
The Juneau School District trainings also reinforce these messages during inservice trainings focused on school climate, educational equity and anti-racism. Teachers explored how the makeup of their classroom could affect how students interact with materials, concepts, and and their relationships with the teacher.
AASB’s Youth on Boards booklet provides useful information for school boards who may be anywhere between exploring the idea of having a youth board member or are looking at refreshing new ways to elevate youth board member’s responsibilities. Students can also practice their skills in advocating for positive school policies at AASB’s Youth Advocacy Institute (YAI), which is scheduled to take place in Juneau on February 12th and 13th. By directly participating in legislative processes, students can gain confidence that will help them give sincere input to their board members.
No matter what method works best for your community, your relationships with students and their families is what gives you the greatest insight and builds the trust that students need to feel open to giving honest feedback. Making them feel welcomed and supported is foundational to making sure students’ voices are heard.
“You can’t have conversations about student experiences without students at the table [Educators need to be] thoughtful about that student experience and student engagement.” – Joshua Dantzler, Director of social media at Student Voice
Ciick here for AASB’s Youth on Boards booklet. This is a great resource for school board members and students on boards.
The Trauma Engaged Framework and Trauma Engaged Toolkit can help direct school staff build strategies for building relationships and supporting youth voice.
AASB’s 2021 Youth Advocacy Institute Booklet is a great resource for students to get oriented to the legislative process and testimony.
If you would like support in reaching your students, you can reach out to Tyler Breen at tbreen@nullaasb.org!