Young Voices

Young Voices tranforms urban youth into powerful advocates

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RI Kids Count report: Students want, need more guidance in reaching their goals

October 24, 2017 By Peter Chung Leave a Comment

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Young Voices Part of Major Effort to Expand Student-Centered Learning Statewide

October 24, 2017 By Peter Chung Leave a Comment

“We students are the only ones who know what it’s like to actually be in the classrooms every day.  How can policymakers know if the policies they create are being implemented the way they intended if they don’t hear from the people who are impacted by those policies every day?  Our perspective needs to be included if policies are to be effective at improving our lives. Students in our focus groups made clear that for the most part, their learning is not personalized or aligned with their needs.” —Jorge Soto, Young Voices member. Read More
Engaging Students In Their Own Learning: Rhode Island Youth Perspective Report

Photo by Rhode Island Kids Count. RI Education Commissioner, Dr. Ken Wagner, engaging with students at Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Issue Brief Release.

Providence Public School Board Passes new Code of Conduct Policy

October 12, 2017 By Peter Chung Leave a Comment

For more than three years, Young Voices youth have been pushing the Providence Public School District to revise its Code of Conduct to include restorative justice practices-ensuring that students are supported to stay in school and succeed.  One of the consistent champions of this effort was Ritsuko Tani, a Young Voices alum who is now a freshman at the University of Rhode Island. Read More

College Access and Workforce Development

September 6, 2017 By Peter Chung Leave a Comment

We provided extensive college access support to all our seniors—and we were thrilled when 100% got accepted into college—with 22 youth getting more than $2.1 million in scholarships and financial aid!! 

This summer, we ramped up our Summer WorkForce program to 20 hours a week, connecting young people with all kinds of ways to learn about future careers and the workplace.  Youth were able to have internships, job shadows, and career visits at some of the most innovative and successful organizations in the state, including MojoTech, Coastway Community Bank, Figmints, Cornish Associates, RI Housing, Providence Preservation Fund, Brown University, and Upserve. Read More

R.I. student survey: Adult educators too quick to discipline

September 23, 2016 By Peter Chung Leave a Comment

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – High school students in two school districts say educators threaten to suspend them for minor disciplinary matters, according to a student survey of more than 1,800 youth.

[Read more…]

The importance of student voice in school improvement

September 22, 2016 By Peter Chung Leave a Comment

Young Voices recently released our Statewide Report about discipline practices in Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls high schools.  Our youth conducted surveys and focus groups with 1,937 of their peers from the three districts, asking specific questions about how adults handle discipline and its impact on school attendance and graduation rates.

Youth transform their school

March 14, 2016 By Peter Chung Leave a Comment

Principal Michaela Keegan says:“I was skeptical of transitioning to the use of restorative practices, because I didn’t know much about it.  However, the students gently persisted and always supported their wish to use restorative practices with evidence, data and student voice.  They helped me be more confident in exploring this unknown but obviously needed approach to building community.” Read More

Unlimited dreams

December 23, 2015 By Peter Chung Leave a Comment

As an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, immigration is a topic that hits close to home.  Last year, I created an independent study project around the issue of DREAMers, young people who are undocumented.  Through this class, we conducted research with administration , institutions and DREAMers themselves.  I was honored to be able to interview them.  I learned so much through their stories, filled with suffering, darkness, pain, tears, smiles, laughter, faith, love and resilience.  We also studied what institutions are doing to create an environment of inclusivity for undocumented students. Read more

Young Voices takes the lead in pushing for positive school climate

November 24, 2015 By Peter Chung Leave a Comment

For more than 4 years, Young Voices has been supporting students at 4 of RI’s lowest-performing high schools to improve their attendance and graduation rates.  Our youth surveyed thousands of their peers, asking them what could be done to improve attendance rates, and their message was loud and clear:  there needs to be a massive shift in school climate, and the ending of punitive, unfair discipline practices. Read More

Youth shift the culture of schools in the city

June 17, 2015 By Peter Chung Leave a Comment

Across this country, youth are experiencing extreme hopelessness-drop-out, discrimination, poverty, lack of opportunity.  But in Rhode Island, youth from Young Voices are doing something about it.

Three years ago, our youth surveyed thousands of fellow students in Providence, asking what could be done to raise graduation and attendance rates.  The message from their peers was loud and clear: there is a serious issue with the way discipline is handled in our schools.  A recent report from the ACLU backs them up: “A decade’s worth of statistics have unequivocally demonstrated that racial disparities in suspension rates are pervasive” and there is a need to “take critical steps toward minimizing the use of out of school suspensions in favor of a system that keeps students in school, and away from the school-to-prison pipeline.” Read more

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Youth Impact

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Education Equity

  • State-level Change
  • District-Level Change
  • Change at the School Level
  • Student Driven Research

In The News:

RI Kids Count report: Students want, need more guidance in reaching their goals

Young Voices Part of Major Effort to Expand Student-Centered Learning Statewide

Providence Public School Board Passes new Code of Conduct Policy

College Access and Workforce Development

R.I. student survey: Adult educators too quick to discipline

All News Items

Student Driven Research

  • Students solutions to increase attendance and graduations rates November 2013
  • Students partnering in school redesign Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex August 2011
  • Students partnering in school redesign at Central Falls High School May 2011
  • Students documenting school experience: Executive Summary
  • Students documenting school experience in Pawtucket and Central Falls Schools: June 2009
  • Students documenting school experience in Woonsocket Schools: June 2009
  • Student driven research on school climate in Providence Schools: January 2009

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About

Young Voices is a Rhode Island-based non-profit organization that transforms urban youth into powerful advocates, who partner with our State’s major leaders to create systemic reform and policy change that improve the lives of thousands of youth across the state.

Location:
P.O.Box 5853,
Providence, RI 02903
E. info@youngvoicesri.org

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