Students and Government Council (SAGC)

Throughout the duration of the program, students will work together to formulate a proposal to the city, county, or state government. This is entirely student motivated, and advocacy projects have ranged throughout the years, from addressing gentrification in Pittsburgh, to questioning the role of gifted and talented programming in Pennsylvania. Throughout the year students are provided an array of resources and thoughtful conversations to stimulate further advocacy and political exploration.

Members are frequently given the space to ask questions to and engage in conversations with elected officials. During the 2020-2021 program, we were joined by State Representative Dan Miller, State Senator Lindsey Williams, County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam, City Council Corey O'Connor, State Representative Ed Gainey, and State Representative Summer Lee, amongst others. The connections formed with the elected officials are vital to the success of the advocacy work.

In addition to the advocacy project, members of the SAGC have a set of responsibilities to uphold as student leaders, including but not limited to: consistent attendance at meetings, participation in subcommittees, and presence at the Student Leadership Workshop in August. When students put in the work, there is so much that can be gained from participation; improved public speaking and communication skills, project management, and a strong understanding of local government, to name just a few. SAGC is open to any student in grades 7-9 who is a Pittsburgh resident, regardless of school district. We encourage you to apply!

The 2022-2023 SAGC Application is OPEN.

Applications are due no later than September 23, 2023. Once your application is received, you will be contacted by PPS Student Voice with more information about the interview process.

Students & Government Advocacy Project Information and Link to View

Members of the 2020-2021 cohort of the PPS Students & Government Council decided to focus on Gifted and Talented Education.  They have done extensive research on how students enter Gifted and Talented Programs, what the racial and economic disparities in said programs are, as well as how they may begin addressing these issues.  They also are striving to gain state-wide awareness around these issues, as they are often overlooked.

On June 9th, they were invited to the City’s post agenda meeting by Councilman O’Conner to share their work to date.  The presentation included information about the district partnership, their topic of choice, the testing process, the discriminatory patterns in Gifted and Talented education, the long term effects, potential solutions, and a request for support from City Council.  You can view their presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv0AVZbr8XQ.