At the Sept. 16 Alief Independent School District Board of Trustees meeting, Kelvin Anthony, a civic-engagement intern representing Alief Voices in Action, said the district-funded program is paying students to lead civic projects on their campuses and has produced a parent civic curriculum. "Alief has been instrumental in my journey thus far," Anthony said, and added, "students have power."

Anthony told trustees the program is funded by a Houston Endowment grant and currently includes 29 high school students and three college mentors who have been paid to lead campus projects. He said the interns have investigated causes of low civic participation among high school students and used that research to design interventions for peers and parents.

Among the initiatives Anthony described, the interns are creating a podcast to share stories from alumni, staff and students, and launching a seniors-focused effort the interns called "SHINE" (Seniors Honoring Impact in Your Neighborhood Engagement) to encourage graduating students to continue volunteering and advocacy. "Now that Alief ISD has given us that platform, my fellow students and I intend to use our power to the fullest," he said.

The remarks were made during the public-comment portion of the board meeting; no formal board action was taken on the program at the meeting. Anthony also noted the program provided paid internship opportunities and said the group plans to solicit input from the wider community as it expands its activities.

The board did not vote or direct staff on these items during the meeting.