D.C. Students’ Civic Spirit Shines Bright

Summary

D.C. students are civically engaged and actively shaping conversation about education and their communities.

The largest Student Advisory Committee (SAC) in SBOE history brought together 147 students from 23 schools to share perspectives, influence Board decisions, and help shape resolutions on key education issues.

Through a partnership with the Urban Institute’s DC Education Research Collaborative (ERC), SAC members conducted research and developed recommendations on college and career readiness, mental health, school safety, and other issues affecting their peers.

At the Youth Civic Leadership Summit, more than 100 students collaborated with local leaders to identify challenges, develop solutions, and demonstrate the power of student voice in action.

Student Voices Shaping the District

It’s a common misconception today that youth are civically disengaged and apathetic to the community around them. But evidence suggests otherwise. More than 70% of students under 18 years old engage in some form of civic action across the nation. It seems youth have a strong desire to create meaningful changes in their communities and the wider world.

With a long history of advocacy, activism, and community involvement, D.C. has— and continues to develop—pathways that encourage youth engagement and to elevate student voices in decision-making. The District’s students are doing exactly that: not just passively showing up to community huddles but using their voice in the most pressing issues, refining what participation in local community looks like for students their age.

A Seat at the Table: The 2025-26 Student Advisory Committee

Since its establishment in 2015, the Student Advisory Committee (SAC) has been a powerful partner to the SBOE for over a decade. Throughout each school year, the students convene monthly to discuss education issues, share insights with invited speakers, and provide recommendations to the Board. The SAC gives representation to each of D.C.’s eight ward’s diverse experiences and perspectives.

With 147 students, the 2025-2026 Student Advisory Committee was the largest in the program’s history—a testament to how D.C.’s high school students are increasingly committed to improving their local community for their peers and the generations that follow.

The SAC is led by four student representatives. This past school year, Representatives Perry Pixley Chamberlain (School Without Walls High School), Nyla Dinkins (Benjamin Banneker Academic High School), Sitara Mazumdar (BASIS DC PCS), and Issa Ouarid (Calvin Coolidge High School) created a culture of collaboration, honest feedback, and tangible student experience at the forefront of each issue as they voiced the concerns of the SAC at large during the Board’s working sessions and public meetings.

The student representatives’ leadership allowed for active and persistent engagement throughout the committee as a whole. During their 10-month term, SAC members provided input on a wide range of various issues, including OSSE’s 2026-2027 cellphone policy and the development of its 2026-2030 strategic plan, federal law enforcement and ICE presence in D.C., mental health, college and career readiness, school safety, graduation requirements, physical education standards, and educational technology and artificial intelligence in schools.

SAC members discussions deepened the Board’s understanding of issues facing students across the District, centered student perspectives, and informed formal positions adopted by the State Board. Among the resolutions adopted with SAC feedback during School Year 2025-2026 were:

Student Representatives also represented the SAC nationally. In September 2025, the student representatives attended NASBE’s New Student Member Institute, a virtual leadership training opportunity for student representatives on State Boards around the country. Furthermore, in October 2025 Representatives Chamberlain and Dinkins attended NASBE’s Annual Conference, leading a panel entitled “Building Student Engagement from the School Ground Up: Strategies for State Board Members and Staff”.

While their time serving on the State Board and chairing the Student Advisory Committee recently wrapped, their leadership journeys are only beginning. We extend our best wishes to Rep. Chamberlain (attending Vanderbilt University), Rep. Dinkins (attending Spelman College), Rep. Mazumdar (attending Harvard University), and Rep. Ouarid (attending The New School). We look forward to all they will accomplish in the years ahead.

From Feedback to Findings

SAC members also engaged in deeper research to develop recommendations for improving educational experiences across the District. In collaboration with the Urban Institute’s DC Education Research Collaborative (ERC), students moved beyond identifying challenges to investigating solutions grounded in student experiences and research.

Using a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) framework, SAC members worked alongside ERC Director Dara Shaw and assistant researchers Kristin Sinclair, Bethany Monea, Mary Hayford, Leslee Haisma, Ariella Meltzer, Sofia Hinojosa, and Stephanie Petrov to identify research questions, design data collection tools and methodologies, distribute and collect data, and develop recommendations on issues affecting D.C. students. Their work focused on three major areas: college and career readiness; mental health resources; and school safety, with additional research examining school meals, access to registered nurses, and extracurricular opportunities.

Student representatives presented the SAC’s findings, laid out in the School Year 2025-2026 Annual Report, to the full Board at the June 3 working session.

Key recommendations from the Student Advisory Committee’s research included:

Expanding opportunities for students to meet with college and career counselors before their senior year,
Providing additional professional development and support for school counselors,
Strengthening trust and communication between students and school-based mental health resources,
Allowing more school lunch autonomy through student votes and panels,
Re-evaluating District cellphone policies through a student-centered lens,
Increasing transparency and communication around school safety policies and procedures.

Current and future Board members can use these recommendations as they continue to address the needs of D.C. students. The partnership between the SAC and ERC will continue during School Year 2026-2027 school year, with research activities beginning earlier in the term to allow students additional time to conduct deeper analysis and develop more robust recommendations.

Students Leading Beyond the Boardroom

While the Student Advisory Committee provided students with a formal role in advising the Board throughout the year, it was not the only space where students made their voices heard. Many students extended their advocacy beyond the Committee, sharing their ideas and concerns directly with city leaders at the Youth Civic Leadership Summit.

Through a collaborative partnership with Mikva Challenge DC, the Office of the Student Advocate (OSA), and EdTrust, SBOE hosted the Youth Civic Leadership Summit on May 13. More than 100 students in grades 8-12 (including SAC members) from over 18 public and public charter schools joined representatives from over 20 local agencies and organizations, including SBOE elected members, State Superintendent of Education Dr. Antoinette Mitchell, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) Deputy Chancellor Drewana Bey, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, and representatives from the offices of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) and D.C. Public Charter School Board (PCSB).

Conversations focused on literacy, mental health, youth employment, encouraging student voice in decision-making, improving safe spaces, and enhancing school staff-student relationships. Through small groups and workshops, students collaborated with agency leaders to develop actionable recommendations on top student concerns. Board members left with ideas on how to implement the students’ suggestions through agency partnership, including addressing literacy innovation alongside OSSE and supporting officer training with OSA and DME.

The Summit showcased the power of student voice in action. By working directly with local leaders to identify challenges and propose solutions, students demonstrated that they are thoughtful advocates, engaged community members, and essential partners in shaping the future of education in the District.

Conclusion

The future of student leadership within the District is brighter than ever. From their work on the Student Advisory Committee to their participation in the Youth Leadership Summit, D.C. students are not waiting for opportunities to lead. They are actively researching issues, advising policymakers, and shaping education policy in meaningful ways.

Research shows that youth engagement is most impactful when students and decision-makers communicate openly. This collaboration helps ensure that policies are informed by the experience of those most directly affected by them.

Looking ahead, the Board is eager to continue its partnership with student leaders during School Year 2026-2027.