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High school students present civic-leadership proposals to Avondale council through Read Better, Be Better program
Summary
Read Better, Be Better presented a nine-week civic leadership cohort involving students from Agua Fria and neighboring districts; three students proposed school-focused solutions including teacher training, student morale initiatives, and teen summits addressing cyberbullying and mental-health concerns.
Read Better, Be Better, a local literacy nonprofit, presented its Pathway to Civic Leadership program to the Avondale City Council on May 19 and introduced three high school students who delivered short proposals for school- and community-focused improvements.
Alex Peck, Pathways Program Director for Read Better, Be Better, told the council that the program responds to Arizona’s third-grade literacy challenges by training older students to mentor younger readers and by developing leadership skills among high-school participants. Peck said the organization has partnered with Avondale Elementary School District for years and recently added a regional civic-leadership cohort hosted at Agua Fria High School.
Three students — Linda Wing (Agua Fria High School), Jaylene Aguilar (Westview High School) and Nija Edmonds (Westview High School) — summarized the projects they developed during the nine-week program. Wing asked for improved teacher training and more systematic student feedback so teachers are confident and better able to engage students. Aguilar urged programs to boost student morale and community — suggesting more inclusive events, pep rallies and student-led input through organizations like student government. Edmonds proposed partnering with the city for teen summits to address cyberbullying, school violence awareness and suicide prevention, recommending incentives such as extra credit to boost attendance.
Peck said the cohort met weekly for nine weeks and worked with the Flynn Foundation curriculum, guest community speakers, and school staff to craft proposals and practice advocacy. She thanked Agua Fria High School Principal Autumn Daniels and BSU advisor Chalina German for hosting and connecting students across campuses.
Council members praised the students’ presentations. Councilmember Garcia told the students their willingness to propose solutions — rather than only identifying problems — "speaks volumes." Vice Mayor Nielsen and others acknowledged the value of building a pipeline of youth civic engagement.
Read Better, Be Better’s Pathway to Civic Leadership complements the nonprofit’s tutoring and literacy efforts by supporting leadership skills among high-school students while aiming to improve outcomes for K–3 readers through tiered, evidence-based interventions, the nonprofit said.
