Students speak up: NYC Youth Agenda

Students speak up: NYC Youth Agenda

Author: Ethical Schools April 15, 2022 Duration: 34:30

We speak with students Eugenia Bamfo, Alexandra Rouvinetis, and Mukilan Muthukumar, members of the NYC Youth Agenda. Using citywide student survey data, Youth Agenda teams aggregated young people’s needs to make recommendations to policymakers in five areas — housing security, food justice, mental health support, economic mobility, and leadership and civic engagement. Among the findings: large numbers of students are unaware of existing youth programs, many don’t trust the “trusted adults” in their schools, and Department of Education “student voice” efforts are tremendously understaffed.

Overview 

00:00-01:16 Intros

01:16-03:19 NYC Youth Agenda and its key points

03:19-08:19 Leadership and civic opportunity—issues and recommendations

08:19-12:01 Housing

12:01-13:34 Food insecurity

13:34-14:12 Mutual aid societies

14:12-18:34 Mental health

18:34-19:49 Economic mobility

19:49-21:50 Organizational support from adult groups

21:50-22:49 Policies for schools

22:49-27:28 Policy breakfast and meetings with elected officials and policy makers

27:28-30:15 Funding for proposals

30:15-31:06 Coordination with other youth organizations

31:06-32:07 How listeners can be supportive

32:07- Outro

Transcript


Conversations about education often focus on test scores and curriculum, but there’s a deeper layer that truly shapes a student’s experience. Ethical Schools digs into that layer, exploring what it means to build a learning community grounded in integrity and care. Each week, hosts Amy and Jon sit down with educators and innovators who are actively reimagining schools. You’ll hear specific, grounded discussions about the practical work of creating environments where every student feels safe and respected. The dialogue frequently addresses how to support young people dealing with trauma, moving beyond theory to share actionable strategies that teachers are using right now. More than just problem-solving, this podcast highlights how to empower students themselves to become advocates and changemakers in their own communities. It’s a series that connects philosophy with daily practice, looking at the social and cultural structures within schools through a lens of ethics. For anyone invested in the future of education-whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or simply a concerned community member-this podcast offers a thoughtful and necessary perspective on the foundational values that make education meaningful.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 240

Ethical Schools
Podcast Episodes
Zoe Weil on humane education: The world becomes what we teach [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:30
We talk with Zoe Weil, the co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education. She talks about providing young people with the knowledge, tools, and motivation to address our pressing challenges in order to t…