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 three high-need Chicago high schools: Bowen, Orr and Clemente. 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.
Chicago Youth Issue Councils
Education
The Education Council (formerly the Youth Innovation Fund) is composed of 15 youth from 16 high schools and advises the CEO of Chicago Public Schools. Education Council members also convene and 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.
Read the Education Council's most recent report on improving student-teacher relationships presented to all CPS high school principals in August, 2008:
StudentTeacherRelationshipsReport.pdf (173 KB)
Read the Education Council's report, "Our Schools, Our Communities, Our Solutions: Establishing Safe and Healthy Schools," presented to CPS CEO Arne Duncan in 2007: Safe_and_Healthy_Schools_Report.pdf (249 KB)
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 Children and Youth Services.
Read their initial report on teen health recommendations: Youth_Health_Council_Report.pdf (149 KB)
Youth Safety
The Youth Safety Council focuses on ways to decrease violence in Chicago schools and communities by promoting youth safety. Through intensive research on the root causes of violence, the 11 students on the Safety Council seek to make youth part of the solution, and not an obstacle, to decreasing violence in Chicago.
Read their policy recommendations on youth safety: Mikva_Challenge_Youth_Safety_Council_2008_Summer_R (689 KB)
