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County students showcase environmental audits, AI projects and advocacy at Youth-Led Leadership Alliance event
Summary
Student groups from Santa Cruz County presented results from youth-led projects including waste audits, AI workshops, mental-health advocacy and queer student climate surveys during the board meeting's Youth-Led Leadership Alliance presentation.
Dozens of student leaders presented the year’s work from seven Youth-Led Leadership Alliance groups, telling trustees and the public about local projects that range from large-scale waste audits to pilot AI workshops. Youth for Environmental Action reported waste-audit contamination rates (for example, reporting 61% contamination in one landfill bin at San Lorenzo Valley High and significant unopened food waste found in landfill bins). The new YETI group ran three pilot sessions on AI tools—"Cracking the Code," an AI Jam Session that produced student music, and AI artistry workshops—with students asking for deeper, more sustained offerings and potential funding to buy premium software access.
Queer Student Union presenters shared early survey results (128 responses to date) that found roughly 48% of LGBTQ+ students say teachers use their preferred names/pronouns, and only 17% find gender-neutral bathrooms easy to access; student presenters urged schools to improve bathroom access and bullying response. Students in Youth Artists Taking Action described a county mural project and community events; the countywide Black Student Union described outreach and college-expo trips; multilingual youth described a World Languages Showcase and student-produced materials. Trustees praised the students’ leadership, and the board paused to take a group photo with presenters.
