Issues
School Climate
We believe that schools can only be improved with consistent youth voice and organizing.
Strategies
Facilitating weekly climate clubs at four to five high schools and middle schools each school year. Climate Club participants are trained by YAR to identify and analyze challenges to a healthy school climate and culture and create strategies to address the causes of those challenges.
Training students to present recommendations to administrators, community school coordinators and school climate team members.
School Police Accountability
We believe that school police contribute more to the school-to-prison pipeline than to school safety. We need increased opportunities to address mental health, healing, relationship building, and trauma. Relying on policing cannot eliminate the root causes of violence.
Strategies
Convening a monthly School Police Accountability Roundtable (SPAR).
Monitoring and responding to the annual school police report card results.
Enforcing the policy that all school police officers receive five hours of youth-led training annually.
Enforcing the implementation of diversion strategies.
Organizing to have student created safety strategies institutionalized in Baltimore City High Schools and Middle Schools resulting in decreased interactions and need for school police.
Youth Homelessness
We believe that every young person has a right to stable, safe and comfortable housing.
Strategies
Advocating for housing for high school-age youth.
Conducting focus groups, analyzing data and sharing information with stakeholders about national models and strategies that work.
Training youth and adults around youth homelessness and supporting those experiencing housing instability. Curriculum was created by us.