District student advisory council gives students voice on school issues including food choices

Dr. Aldana, the district's director of secondary education, said the district-level Student Advisory Council, made up of student leaders from each elementary and middle school, has met this year to give students a voice and advise on school and district issues, including nutrition services taste tests and analysis of a districtwide student survey.

The council was created to provide students a formal platform to share concerns and ideas that affect their school sites and the broader community, Dr. Aldana said. She described opportunities for collaboration, critical thinking and community building as central goals.

Council activities this year, as described in the meeting, have included participation in nutrition services taste testing to provide feedback on potential food items, leadership-skills training, and analysis of data from a districtwide student survey. "They have also learned about leadership skills," Dr. Aldana said. "They recently analyzed data from a district wide student survey, and they are also learning from each other and how to make a positive impact at their school."

A student representative who spoke during the presentation said, "I think there are a lot of great ideas out there, and I would like to take many of them back to my school and hope to make it a better learning environment." The remark was presented as an example of students taking ideas from council meetings back to their individual schools.

Dr. Aldana closed the presentation by noting the group’s progress and plans for continued work this year: "We are very excited with the progress we've made this year and multiple opportunities to share and collaborate. I look forward to the rest of the year and providing a platform for student voices."