BRINGING THE VOICES OF YOUTH TO THE TABLE: A SOCIAL JUSTICE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT APPROACH

Abstract

There is a justified increasing call for the inclusion of youth voices in school leadership as a mechanism to promote socially just changes in school. At the same time, research has demonstrated the ways in which the oppressive and hegemonic structures present in schools and society work to undermine the ability of youth to develop their critical consciousness and engage in the necessary praxis required to bring their critical voices to school leadership. This critical qualitative case study investigates the ways a student led and developed Social Justice Youth Summit (SJYS) supported a team of high school students in developing their social justice identities (Ginwright & Cammarota, 2002). Findings highlight how involvement in the process supported a group of students from one urban school district in honing their self, social, and global awareness in ways that simultaneously deepened youth awareness of oppressive forces acting in their lives and honed their ability to bring their voices to bear on school and community leadership. SJYS youth leaders were able to center their voices in formal and informal school improvement in ways that pushed schools, teachers, and students towards more equitable practices. Additionally, the very act of planning and implementing a social justice summit for 200 local high school students represents a meaningful enactment of student voice.