Pitch your idea for improving public education to The Seattle Times Student Voices project

from

Editor for engagement in the Education Lab

Are you a high school or college age teenager with an idea to transform the public education system? Are you looking for a way to promote your ideas to a wider audience?

The Seattle Times Student Voices project is entering its sixth year and we are looking for young people to write essays on how schools can better serve their students. We will work with you to refine your essay and get it published in the Seattle Times this school year.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, experts, educators and students alike have said that schools cannot return to “normal”. Business as usual does not, so to speak, help all students succeed and access the resources they need. We want to know what you think.

You might want schools to have more mental health counselors or more multicultural faculties. You might want to talk about sex education or graduation requirements. You might want to highlight an educator or program that helps get things right.

Let us know your ideas and tell us how you’d like to shed light on the topic through an essay, short video or audio piece – even a work of art or a social media story. We are interested in your ideas for stories and how to tell them.

Up to 12 young authors will be selected to participate. You will work directly with Seattle Times journalists and colleagues in your Student Voices cohort to shape your work and ensure your ideas are understood and supported.

Do you need inspiration? Past Student Voices writers have looked at what it’s like to have a disability in public schools, why black faculties are important in universities, and how they learned how to thrive as a first-generation college student.

The project is aimed at any teenage or youth from Washington who are currently in school or have recently left the public education system for any reason. Those who finish their work for publication will receive a $ 100 gift card.

View the application and learn how to fill it out here: st.news/studentsapply. Be sure to follow the instructions under “How do I apply?”.

For more information, contact Jenn Smith, Education Lab Engagement Editor, at jennsmith@seattletimes.com or 206-464-2925.