Youth Policy Making

At Mikva, we believe that youth deserve a place at the table of city and school leaders who make public policy that significantly affects Chicago youth. Through Mikva’s school- and city-based youth policy councils, we hope to:

• create structures within city government that incorporate youth input in policymaking and budget deliberations;
• connect a broad base of youth to adult decision makers via the youth councils;
• positively affect policy; and,
• develop a cadre of strong youth leaders committed to public service and activism both now and in the future.
  
  

Our policymaking programs include:

Peace and Leadership Councils

Peace and Leadership Councils (PLCs) currently operate in six high-need Chicago high schools: Marshall, Fenger, Harper, Richards, Farragut and Clemente. PLCs also operate in five Chicago middle schools: Reavis, Perspectives, Ames, Marquette, and Orozco. The young people in Mikva’s school-based PLCs research issues in their school, create recommendations for school change and serve as advisory councils to their principals and school administrators.

Chicago Youth Councils

Education

The Education Council (formerly the Youth Innovation Fund) is composed of 15 youth from high schools across the city and advises the CEO of Chicago Public Schools. Education Council members also convene to train both youth and adults on issues including security in Chicago Public Schools, creating successful youth-adult partnerships and empowering students to improve their schools.

Last year, the Education Council developed recommendations about how to use 21st century technology to improve the rigor, relevance, and relationships of high school. Their complete list of recommendations from last year can be found here. Click here to check out the video the students made to document the process of developing their 2010 report.

In the summer of 2011, the Education Council shifted their focus to answering the question, "How can Chicago high schools effectively deliver the skills and knowledge needed in the 21st century?" The Council developed a comprehensive list of 15 recommendations they believe will better the Chicago Public School System in the areas of curriculum, technology, resources, and student-teacher accountability. Read their policy recommendation paper, click here.

Teen Health

Formed in the summer of 2008, the Teen Health Council meets weekly to research, debate and report on policy recommendations that significantly impact youth on issues ranging from nutrition to mental and sexual health. The Teen Health Council works in collaboration with the Chicago Department of Health.

Last year, the Teen Health Council is worked to get high schools to sign up for the Go for The Gold Challenge. The Go for The Gold Challenge is a local branch of Michelle Obama's Lets Move Campaign. The Go for the Gold campaign is a city-wide initiative to ensure that all kids have access to healthy food, quality nutrition education and physical activity at school. The Teen Health Council has come up with twenty recommendations to help principals sign up for The Go for The Gold Challenge and actually follow through with it. Their report outlining these recommendations is available here.

In the summer of 2011, the Council set out to answer the question, "How can youth activism philanthropy catalyze a teen health movement in Chicago Public Schools?" A full report outlining the results of their research is forthcoming.

Youth Commission

In the summer of 2011, the Mikva Youth Safety Council and the Mikva Out-of-School Time Council combined to form the Mikva Challenge City Youth Commission. The Youth Commission is a group of twenty youth leaders from different high schools and colleges/universities throughout the city. The Commision meets with city leaders including the Mayor and other decision makers in City Hall.

During their first summer of operation, the Commission were committed to answering the question, "How can the city of Chicago better utilize the expertise and leadership of young people?" They developed a list of twelve recommendations to better incorporate youth voice into City Government, the Chicago Police Department, and the Chicago Transit Authority. Read their full policy recommendation paper titled, "Youth Voice: Ushering in a New Era for Chicago," click here.