Youth Organizing for Education Change

Should young people be considered actors in school change, or simply the recipients of changed schools? Growing evidence and our own experience in the field suggest the former. Youth-led efforts to create change in schools, districts and education policy are on the rise. Youth Organizing for Educational Change features brief case studies of seven youth organizing efforts across the United States that we hope will inform, instruct and inspire. They show what can happen when adults create the expectations that young people be both informed educational consumers and engaged changed-makers. As momentum spreads for community leaders to organize for collective impact to improve youth outcomes, it is imperative that we not just invite but expect and support young people’s participation as learners and leaders.