Enabling Change

From Whispers to Roars: Empowering Young People to Use Their Voice

For much of my young life, my voice felt like a whisper in the wind. My ideas, thoughts, and emotions were turning into a hurricane within me; however, I didn’t feel I had a safe space to share them, especially not with an adult. It wasn't that I wasn't speaking; it was that I wasn't being truly heard. Or worse, I was being heard but no one was truly listening. Often my expression was dismissed as an overreaction or that I was “too young” to be stressed out or to have certain emotions tied to traumatic experiences like displacement and grief that, truthfully, most adults struggle to handle.

This experience is far too common for young people navigating the complexities of adolescence. Often dismissed as “just a phase” or lacking the life experience to offer valuable insights, the voices of youth are frequently diminished, leaving a void where connection and understanding should be. It wasn’t until I reached the 10th grade, under the guidance of a remarkable high school English teacher, that this changed for me. This teacher didn’t just grade my assignments; she saw me. She helped me turn my whisper into a roar by taking time to recognize and nurture my talent for both academic and creative writing, offering genuine acknowledgment and guidance that resonated deeply.

This simple act of recognition was profoundly empowering, providing a sense of relief I hadn’t realized I desperately needed. It was a validation that my thoughts and feelings mattered—that I mattered. This personal experience illuminated the crucial importance of truly listening to young people.

Why Student Voice Is So Important

The voices of students, especially those from marginalized communities, are crucial to any educational structure and beyond for several reasons:

Equity and Inclusion

• Diverse Perspectives: Students from marginalized communities bring unique experiences, perspectives, and challenges that are often overlooked in traditional educational settings. Their voices help to uncover systemic inequities and inform culturally responsive practices.
• Addressing Disparities: By listening to these students, educators can identify and address disparities in academic outcomes, access to resources, and disciplinary practices that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. This can lead to more equitable policies and support systems.

Improved Learning and Engagement

• Relevant Curriculum: When students feel heard, they are more likely to be engaged in their learning. Their input can help shape a curriculum that is relevant to their lives, interests, and cultural backgrounds.
• Empowerment and Ownership: Giving students a voice empowers them to take ownership of their education and become active participants in their learning process. This can lead to increased motivation, academic achievement, and a stronger sense of belonging.

Systemic Improvement and Accountability

• Informed Decision-Making: Student voice provides valuable feedback to educators, administrators, and policymakers. It helps them understand the impact of policies and practices on students' lives and make informed decisions that better serve the needs of all students.
• Accountability and Transparency: When students are empowered to share their experiences, it increases accountability within the school system. It creates a platform for them to raise concerns about issues such as bullying, discrimination, and inadequate resources, prompting necessary action and promoting transparency.

Social Justice and Civic Engagement

• Developing Advocacy Skills: Encouraging student voice helps develop crucial skills in advocacy, critical thinking, and communication. These skills empower students to become agents of change in their communities and beyond.
• Promoting Social Justice: By amplifying the voices of marginalized students, educators can contribute to a broader movement for social justice and equity. It sends a message that all students are valued, respected, and deserve a high-quality education.

At Boston Public Schools (BPS), our community knows that students need to have a safe and inclusive environment where they can feel comfortable sharing their perspectives and ideas. One of the key BPS district goals is to amplify all student voices. Leveraging both internal and external partnerships allows the district to employ strategies to empower students to take ownership of their learning, contribute to the community, and actively participate in decision-making processes in the classroom and beyond.

Student Voice in Inquiry-Based Learning

Jermaine Tulloch, the BPS director of academic mentoring, is intentional in his approach to empowering students to take ownership of their learning and contribute meaningfully to the community by creating an environment where they feel valued, trusted, and responsible for their own growth. His approach is multi-layered. He incorporates student-centered activities to encourage students to engage in activities that require them to explore, experiment, and collaborate. Jermaine helped his students develop and publish a book entitled Mentoring Matters Volume 1 which is accompanied by a Mentorship Matters teen journal.

Projects (such as the aforementioned), debates, and group discussions are great ways to help students take responsibility for their learning. Inquiry-based learning allows students to ask questions and seek answers. This fosters curiosity and encourages them to be self-directed learners. Additionally, he encourages choice and autonomy to help give students options in assignments, projects, or even how they demonstrate learning. Jermaine shares his insight on creating safe spaces for students:

“Creating a safe and inclusive environment where all students feel comfortable sharing their perspectives and ideas requires intentional strategies, clear communication, and fostering a culture of respect. Set clear expectations for respect and inclusion by encouraging active listening and modeling inclusivity.”

Student Voice in Leadership and Decision-Making

BPS’ Office of Youth Leadership leads an amazing program that is designed to cultivate leaders and community participation as well as self-advocacy. The Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC) is a body of selected high school student representatives from across the Boston Public Schools. Student leaders represent their respective high schools, serving as the primary vehicle for student voice and engagement within the Boston Public Schools district. The council works to amplify student voices across the city. BSAC works to bring students from all over the district to address these issues. BSAC is comprised of 46 active members from across 20 BPS high schools.

The assistant director for the Office of Youth Leadership, Tewahedo Haimanot, strongly focuses on relationships, indicating that there is no greater privilege in the work he does than the ability to form relationships with our young people. It may take time, but once a student feels seen and heard, they begin to take full ownership of their lives. He looks forward to the opportunities daily to connect and talk to them on a human level about their lives, what wins they are celebrating, what areas need support, and their hopes and dreams.

When a student knows they are cared for as humans and not just as students, they become more confident in advocating for the policies and projects that hold near and dear to them. Keeping an open-mind is also key to youth engagement. As educators and mentors programmed to stand and teach students, Tewahedo finds that it is also important to sit and listen to them.

“I'm always curious to see what I can learn from the next generation, what is changing in our world, and what perspectives they have to improve their environments. We need to create authentic, meaningful relationships with all the young people we come across, but if we have an open mind as well, we begin to encourage them to speak and share their stories.”

One of BSAC’s representatives, Naomi Via-Cole (Grade 12 - Dr. William W. Henderson K–12 Inclusion School), shares with us what BSAC means to her and its personal impact:

“BSAC for me is a place where I can interact with students that have different perspectives on the BPS community. Most importantly BSAC has helped me grow as an individual giving me the space to find my voice. As someone who is more on the introverted side, BSAC has taught me the importance of using your voice when you want to make change in your community. With BSAC, I’ve been able to find areas of discussion I’m passionate about and discover ways I can help make change.”

Student Voice in Their Local Community

In the context of Boston, a city with a rich history of social activism and diverse communities, prioritizing student voice is particularly important. It aligns with the city's commitment to equity and provides an opportunity to create a more inclusive and just educational system that prepares all students for success in a diverse and interconnected world. Connecting students to platforms outside of school is also key to ensuring they continue to exercise the power of their voices.

Write Boston is a valued community partner whose mission is to foster deep learning for youth and educators. They aim to elevate and reshape the role of literacy—writing, reading, and discussion—so that all youth think critically and can use their voice to create change. Their writing program, Teens in Print (TiP), was created to amplify the marginalized voices of eighth to twelfth-grade Boston students. This program supports youth by:

• Building confidence and empowering youth: By seeing their work published and shared with a wider audience, students gain confidence in their abilities and feel empowered to use their voices.
• Connecting youth with their community: The program encourages students to engage with their community, learn about different perspectives, and become active citizens.

Teens in Print is a practical application of Write Boston's mission, providing a tangible way for young people to develop their literacy skills and use their voices to create change.

A Culture of Listening to Student Voice

Empowering young people to raise their voices is not just a feel-good notion; it's critical to create a thriving and equitable educational system. When students feel heard and valued, they are more engaged in learning, and their unique perspectives can inform and improve educational practices. It is important to listen to our youth so we can continue to positively impact their lives. This realization is showcased through programming and partnership efforts made by Boston Public Schools to amplify student voices through various initiatives. However, this is not the end of the conversation. Educators can play a pivotal role in creating safe spaces where students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. This can be achieved through fostering a culture of respect, encouraging active listening, and providing opportunities for student-centered learning activities.

Just like Tewahedo Haimanot mentioned, relationships are key. By investing time in building trust and genuine connections with students, educators and mentors can create an environment where students feel supported and empowered to speak up. Amplifying student voices should not be confined to the classroom walls. Schools can explore avenues for student participation in decision-making processes at the school and district levels.

Community partners like Write Boston and their Teens in Print program play an essential role in providing platforms for marginalized voices to be heard. Schools and communities can explore partnerships with such organizations to further empower student voices. By prioritizing student voice and fostering a culture of listening, we can create a more inclusive and empowering learning environment where all students can thrive…and roar!

Photo at top of BSAC Nubian Square Mural, courtesy of BPS Community Engagement