A group of young education advocates is working to gain skills to affect change this week.
Education advocacy organization DelawareCAN is hosting its first Student Voice Week, an advocacy “boot camp” for high schoolers.
Executive Director Atnre Alleyne says the participants will learn about topics like the Delaware education policy process, school funding, school governance and the educator workforce. He says they will also build advocacy skills.
“At the end of this week we’ll try to make a plan for each participant about how they want to grow,” he said. “Do they want to write more op eds? Do they want to go testify at the legislature? Do they, y’know, whatever it is— do you want to be on a committee?”
Rising senior at Christiana High School Setonee Nagbeis attending the training. She wants to advocate for more counseling and academic rigor in her high school.
“My school is predominantly students that come from low-income families,” she said. “My observation is there is not a lot of AP classes for people who have the talent or ... people who are willing to get into those classes but can’t.”
She hopes to hone her advocacy skills, such as “how to keep your composure and how to talk intellectually with adults who are not willing, or closed minded, to listen to what you have to say.”
“Also learning from people who have changed the education system and learning from them and how can I represent my community,” she added.
Alleyne says the group of students will put their skills to work this year through DelawareCAN’s youth advocacy council — where they’ll pursue their own campaigns to change Delaware’s education system.
