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Student Voice News

  • The Pittsburgh Public Schools Students and Government Council, or the SAGC, is a group of highly pa

    From the 'Burgh to the 'Burg: Amplifying Student Voice

    The Pittsburgh Public Schools Students and Government Council, or the SAGC, is a group of highly passionate students committed to furthering civic engagement in Pittsburgh and beyond. Students serve as liaisons between their community and the school board, city council, and state legislatures. Students learn about district, city, and state policies and political structures from local and state representatives. Students on the SAGC are currently working with representatives from the City of Pittsburgh to allocate funds for a city district block grant.

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  • Rock the Vote Logo

    Register to Vote 2022

    Register to Vote- Because Your Voice Matters! The PPS Student Voice Voters registration subcommittee will be in the cafeteria: Kick-off: September 28, October 6, October 12, Entire week of October 17-21. For more information: visit www.rockthevote.org

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  • 2023-2024 School Year PPS Students & Government Council Application

    School District, City, and State leadership are looking for up to 30 student representatives across all 9 City Council districts who can represent their community properly, show respect for self and others, communicate well, consider others’ ideas and try to make things happen. In addition to student participation from PPS, 10 slots will be reserved for students attending private, parochial and charter schools.

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Student Testimonials

  • Abby Blank "My favorite part about serving on the Council this year was leading the Mental Health Subcommittee in planning the first-ever PPS Student Voice Wellness Fair. I especially loved that through this initiative I could provide PPS students with more resources and information about mental health and learn how to effectively lead a group and work toward a common goal. This fair was an extreme success, and without the Council and the leadership skills I have learned over the past three years, I would have never imagined an event of this sort would have happened, let alone because of my hard work."
  • Kenian Williams "Leadership Opportunities Being a part of the Student Advisory Council allows me to develop and showcase my leadership skills. Making a Difference: One of the most satisfying aspects of being involved in the student Advisory council is the opportunity to make a tangible impact on the school community. Whether it's organizing events, advocating for student needs, or implementing initiatives, I enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from positively influencing the lives of my peers. The teamwork and camaraderie that develops within the council make the experience even more enjoyable and memorable."
  • Mariah Gaines "I feel extremely lucky to have been given the chance to work on the ESSER project this year. I learned a lot about how district funds work and am excited to see our proposals come to fruition next year. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Student Voice Conference and getting to present to such a talented and passionate group of PPS students. Truly an amazing year all around!"
  • Oluwatobiloba Olaore "The most rewarding aspect of being on the council this year was witnessing how our efforts resulted in something that not only made us as council members proud of ourselves but also positively affected our classmates."
  • Roman Allen " I am capable of more than I even know, and when it does get tough I am always able to pull through and deliver."
  • Trinidy Manison "My Time on the student voice advisory Council has taught me growth, acceptance, and maturity I have learned this past year that I am enough and I stand out just as well as my peers and I work my best when I am with people who think the same as me. My growth has been extraordinary I’ve learned tools in student voice I can apply in the near future. The diversity the council brings leaves me excited as well as learning how to respect my peers."
  • ZaMorrie Reeves "As this was my first year on the council, a couple of things I enjoyed the most were meeting/working with high school students across PPS. Even when things didn't go our way we still managed to work through it and lean on our peers to help us."

About

  • What is Student Voice?

    Student voice is the practice of educators intentionally, purposefully, and systematically eliciting student viewpoints on a specific topic for improvement purposes.

    Concerning Student Voice, it is always critical to seek first to understand.

    To reach this goal, district-wide data was used to identify the underrepresented students and create an opportunity for leadership and development.

    The Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council was created in 2017.

    The stakeholder nominated and peer elected student leaders went through intensive leadership training and took on the committee work at the school-level and the district-level.

    The District has taken multiple steps to raise student voice in addition to launching the district-wide council, including:

    • seeking student input on the suspension ban planning and implementation
    • including students in the development of Imagine PPS themes and groups
    • sponsored the Project Manager, Student Voice and student representatives to attend the Classroom Without Borders Poland Study Seminar
    • supported various student-driven virtual projects such as, the “Month of Non-violence”,  the Covid-19 educational campaign, and the work around voter registration.

    The work has truly shifted to a place where the work is student-led. 

    This website is a pure representation of the Student Voice work at Pittsburgh Public Schools as it is designed by student leaders who are knee deep into the work and committed to ensure that student voice is a staple of the work that happens at PPS!

     

Student and Government Council SAGC

  • About the SAGC

    The Pittsburgh Public Schools Students and Government Council (SAGC), formerly known as the YPBC, was created in 2017 by Councilman Corey O’Conner in recognition that youth and children’s voices are usually excluded from the political process, as they are not allowed to vote, and are not well equipped to advocate for their preferred policies.

    SAGC Members will:

    • Learn about district, city, and state policies and political structures.
    • Be a liaison between their community and the school board, city council, and state legislatures.
    • Share the interests and concerns of families in their community at the district with administrators, city council staff, and state legislators.
    • Have open discussions about ideas.
    • Work on an advocacy project.
    • Meet twice a month as a Council.
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  • Mailing Address Office of the Superintendent 341 S. Bellefield Avenue, Room 217 Pittsburgh, PA 15213
  • Student Voice Project Manager, Lenell Reid 412 457 5304 Email: studentvoice@pghschools.org

  • Building the Leaders of Tomorrow

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