As you are building power with your group, recruiting people to work on this issue with you, and connecting your stories to data in order to demonstrate the scale and severity of your issue, think about who has decision-making power that can help you create change.
Is the issue that you’re addressing something that would also be of interest to parents and teachers, and therefore help increase the size of the group that is advocating for change? Are there teachers in your school who also believe that the issue you want to address is a problem and are willing to offer support (strategy, meeting space, connections)? Is it important to seek adults out as allies to increase the likelihood that student voices will be heard? Do you think your principal will listen to your concerns and be rallied to your cause? Will it be necessary to bring your issue before your school board in order to continue raising awareness about the issue and your proposed solutions, as well as to apply pressure and seek answers? Who are the policymakers with the decision-making power to help you get the changes you want to see?
Here are some ideas for groups and decision-makers that could help:
- Student Government Organizations
- Local Nonprofits
- School Board Members
- Parent-Teacher Associations
- Affinity Groups like Black, Latino, or LGBTQI Student Organizations
- State and National Representatives and Senators
- The Media
- Groups That Have Formed on Social Media