"We argue that not giving youth voting power prevents them from having the voice and power they deserve." 🔥🔥🔥 Here at KIDS COUNT we are in full support of the student youth member actually having voting rights like every other member on the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education! bostonglobe.com/2024/05/28/m… Here's the background: "The Rhode Island Board of Education Act established the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education, with eight members appointed by the Governor. It also creates a Student Advisory Council, including one elected student from each public high school. The members of the Student Advisory Council then elect a chairperson to serve a one-year term as an ex officio and non-voting member of the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education. Though this youth has a seat at the council table, they are not granted the right to vote on important decisions that will impact them and the students they represent. In contrast, in Massachusetts, a state that Rhode Island often looks to as a model for its policies, the youth chairperson has full voting rights. And it’s not just Massachusetts; states like Washington have two youth members on their council with voting rights. So why hasn’t Rhode Island followed suit?" via @BostonGlobe @Ariseducation @youngvoicesri

Our youth keynote Marco Antonio Lima with a powerful call for immediate investments in mental health professionals, social supports and guidance for our students *in our schools, where our youth are* #RIFactbook @youngvoicesri