Your Partner In People
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There are currently only 25 states who allow students a seat on district or state school boards. Louisiana, along with many southern states are not among that list. As a nonprofit organization dedicated to education advocacy, it was only natural that the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students wanted to find a way to capture the student perspective.
Our team was challenged with developing a solution that not only encouraged active participation but also ensured effective communication with students, yielding valuable data points for policymakers to then make change.
Deeper than just youth engagement, the goal of the Initiative was to allow students to participate in the political process by offering a direct line for their insights to local leaders. Our team took a multi-faceted approach to address the challenge, combining physical and digital strategies. The core of our solution was the creation of a 10x10 pop-up activation, known as the “Truth Booth.” The Truth Booth was equipped with audiovisual capabilities and touch screen devices. Students engaged with the Truth Booth by participating in video confessionals and digital surveys concerning their education experience. Prior to the live activations, our team conducted youth-led focus groups to help frame relevant questions. The brand development and a social media strategy our team led were integral to successfully reach and engage our audience at key locations, including the Mall of Louisiana and The Electric Depot.
The project was produced in partnership with the City of Baton Rouge through the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, which expanded the influence and reach of the inaugural Youth Voice Initiative and The Truth Booth. This initiative successfully amplified often-overlooked voices and addressed topics that concern students. The data gathered from over 500 student voices was presented in an impact report to community stakeholders ahead of elections. The 2022-2023 report which touched on topics of mental health, educator quality, and preparedness, directly informed policy platforms for locally elected officials.
Sources:
https://www.nsba.org/Perspectives/2021/Students-Serving-on-School-Boards
https://assets-global.website-files.com/623b6db9c262863ddd28c615/64cdb5d8090550f27a911329_YOUTH%20VOICE%20REPORT_FINAL%20(1)%20(1)-compressed.pdf
