Students want more access to social workers, a college advisor at every high school and help in finding community volunteer opportunities, according to information gathered at the annual School District U-46 Student Summit.
In early March, more than 200 U-46 students gathered at Elgin Community College for the annual summit, one of the last large U-46 gatherings before schools closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, some of the students involved in organizing it told the school board what they took away from the event.
The key points also were discussed with individual school principals with the goal of enacting changes, Larkin High School student Marteena Mendel-Duckins said.
“It was 30 of us in a classroom talking to the principal,” she said. “We felt like we had a voice and we felt that maybe we can change something if we don’t like it.”
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Jessica Pearce, a student at Bartlett High School, said many students at the summit believed the district’s social workers should be more accessible to students. She said high school students should be able to develop a relationship with them as early as freshman orientation day.
“We would really like to be able to have social workers be available throughout the day, and we would like to see more district-wide policies to make sure that students are meeting their social workers before they need them,” Pearce said.
Students also want better communication with school officials on expectations for behavior. Pearce said setting up expectations could help de-escalate future incidents in schools.
Post-secondary college and career readiness at Larkin High School is complemented at the school with an advisor specific to that area, Larkin student Michelle Estrada said. The advisor helps students figure out scholarships, organize college visits and plan for college life.
It would be helpful if all the high schools had someone catering specifically to the topic of post-secondary life.
“It would be such an asset to every school if they each had a specific college coordinator,” she said.
While the focus at this year’s summit was on academics, climate, culture and post-secondary readiness, teens also addressed “miscellaneous” topics, such as volunteer work, which was of interest to some in attendance.
“A lot of students were trying to volunteer and trying to go out into the community but they didn’t have the resources and the knowledge on where to go and how to provide volunteer work or work or internships,” Mendel-Duckins said.
Like the prior student-led summits, the school board’s student advisor — this year it’s Streamwood High School senior Hallie Furtak — led the event.
Monday’s school board meeting included the selection of Furtak’s successor. Olivia Howell, currently a junior at South Elgin High School, was recommended by the student advisory council and approved by the board.
Howell is a member of South Elgin’s Beacon Academy, involved in student government and a member of the South Elgin girls golf team. She’s completed several charity projects.
“I’m super excited to represent the students of U-46,” Howell said Monday. “I’m so passionate about the change for the greater good of all students.”