At the end of January 2023, reDesign began reviewing the dozens of applications we received for our 2023 Youth Advisory Council program. Together, they paint a picture of what students are seeing, hearing, and feeling about their schools and communities — and how to transform them for the better.
It’s that time of year again, folks. We’ve blazed past the exciting novelty that always accompanies a new year, and many of us now find ourselves settling back into our routines. These are the months where it becomes uncomfortably apparent that 2023 won’t be that different from 2022… unless we make it so.
For this, and other reasons, it’s a good time of year to do a pulse check. At reDesign, we were interested in hearing what students around the country are seeing, hearing, and feeling about their schools and communities as this new year picks up steam. Lucky for us, an opportunity presented itself to do just that when we closed our application window for the 2023 Youth Advisory Council program, and found ourselves knee-deep in the words of hopeful, but concerned students.
As part of our application process, we ask young people to give us a glimpse into their world — what aspects of their education are bringing them joy? What is sparking frustration? And, perhaps most importantly, how would they transform education for the better? Together, the dozens of answers we received to each of these questions paints a picture of school today, through a student’s eyes.
A number of themes quickly became apparent to us as we read through the responses. Meaningful connections, feelings of belonging, and opportunities for collaboration top the list of things that students are feeling grateful for. It seems like the beauty of learning in community with others is really being felt right now. At the same time, a number of young people noted the salience of learning skills with real-world implications, as college and post-graduation life looms large.
The clearest theme that emerged is best described by a single word – stress. A continued, heavy focus on tests, exams, and memorization paired with the pressure of “GPA culture” led a number of students to name this as the single, biggest gripe they have with their school experience at the moment. This deeply felt experience is seemingly compounded by a distinct lack of choice and agency that many students feel restricted by.
Another interesting theme was a desire for deeper, more meaningful connection and communication between students, teachers, and the surrounding community. Mirroring the strong positive feelings of connectedness to each other, students felt a desire for that connectedness to expand and include the adults and community members around them as well. More community engagement and more authentic, real-world projects became familiar refrains by the end of our application review process.
Although unsurprising to many of us, the themes represented here are an important reminder of what is going on every second, every day, all around us. At reDesign, we hope to use this valuable and graciously given data from students to strengthen our efforts, and remind us to keep learners at the forefront of everything we do. We’ve also just begun our work with our Youth Advisory Council 2023 student cohort… who knows where we might end up?
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