Design Your Future & The Autonomous Youth Council
The final update during the March 22 Youth Forward MKE meeting involved the ongoing implementation of the three youth-generated Design Your Future proposals. Proposal 1, which aims to expand access to mental health curriculums and critical mentoring support, is currently being piloted at North Division and Pathways high schools.
Proposal 2 will expand on this with wraparound spiritual, physical and mental wellness supports, which will be housed at the new ThriveOn King building that is currently under construction. The hope is create an open space where young people can hang out, talk openly and build community with a focus on boosting their overall wellness. The search is currently underway for a local organization to operate the space and coordinate youth-centered programming.
The third and final proposal centers on creating an Autonomous Youth Council, with the goal of training students in culturally relevant education practices and community organizing, and providing pathways into education and policy advocacy.
“The key word here is autonomous,” said Strategic Initiatives Manager Clintel Hasan. “It will not be student government in the way that we traditionally know it. It is intentionally autonomous because we don't want the priorities or agendas of any adult-led institutions invading this council.”
This work will take part in two phases. Under phase one, Youth Forward MKE ambassadors and the K12 Civic Action team will conduct informal listening sessions, where youth and community members will have the opportunity to weigh in on the curriculum and overall structure of the council. Phase two, which is scheduled for the summer of 2024, will see the launch of the first cohort of the Summer Training Academy, which will create the foundation for the autonomous council.
This academy will provide ongoing training and professional development opportunities to prepare students to serve as junior servant leaders. As such, they’ll have the chance to lesson plan and student teach alongside teachers in summer school, allowing them to gain practical experience and helping them better advocate for the supports and practices they want to see in schools.
Ultimately, this academy will help build a sustainable teacher pipeline by exposing students to careers in education and providing them with a supportive network as they pursue licensure and certification.
Keep an eye out for more information on our upcoming listening sessions to learn more and lend your voice to the creation of the council!
