Tucson Teen Town Hall Participants Hold Advocacy at the Capitol

Sixty-five students from 10 high schools in four school districts participated this spring in the Metropolitan Board of Education's 29th Annual Teen Town Hall held at Pima Community College's downtown campus.

At this event, local high school students discussed social issues determined by members of the Metropolitan Board of Education's Youth Advisory Council, a joint agency of the City of Tucson and Pima County dedicated to improving the well-being of learners and educators. .

“Teen Town Halls not only allow young people to articulate their issues and ideas, but also provide a platform to affect real change,” said Rock Perez, executive director of the commission. said. “Our students’ activism at the state Capitol, informed by their peers, is a testament to the power of their voices and the potential of youth-led activism to shape a better future for everyone.”

Key findings from the Teen Town Hall include:

● The severe lack of accessible mental health resources within schools has led to increased interest in dedicated support spaces, the integration of mental health education into the curriculum, and an increase in the number of counselors on campus.

● Inadequate education about drug abuse is leading to uninformed choices among youth and reducing interest in comprehensive drug prevention programs in school curricula and community outreach. It's increasing.

● Persistent disparities in access to educational resources are negatively impacting learning outcomes and prompting attention to system reform to ensure fair distribution of resources and opportunities across all schools and districts.

● Lowering the voting age, making Election Day a national holiday, and increasing civics education in schools to develop informed and engaged young people, as young people's involvement in civic processes and decision-making is low. There is growing interest in

● Climate change is disproportionately impacting marginalized communities without proper education and action plans, and there is an interest in establishing climate education programs, supporting clean energy transitions, and initiating community-led action. I am encouraging you.

Members of the Youth Advisory Council interacted with state leaders at the Arizona State Capitol, where they were introduced to Governor Katie Hobbs and had discussions with Representative Mariana Sandoval and House Democratic Communications Director Robbie Sherwood. . These discussions allowed students to directly advocate for policy considerations and legal solutions.

“We spoke to people who truly valued our thoughts and opinions on community issues and engaged with people who were once in our shoes. That was incredibly powerful. It was a gift, and everyone should have had that opportunity,” said Alalyn Cajas, a high school student and member of the Youth Advisory Council.

The town hall was supported by the Youth Advisory Council and the Community Mediation and Facilitation Center.

Vail Unified School District will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its new addition, Saguaro Creek K-8, on May 2nd.

The school – Vail's 22nd – will be located in the Rocking K development at 8150 S. Rocking K Ranch Loop. It is scheduled to open in July 2025. Saguaro Creek accepts students from preschool through 8th grade.

Tucson Unified School District's University High School ranks among the top 10 high schools in Arizona in U.S. News' annual school rankings.

The publication recently released its 2024 rankings. The school named Basis Peoria the top high school in Arizona.

U.S. News focuses on six indicators to help students: college readiness, college curriculum, state assessment proficiency, state assessment performance, underserved student achievement, and graduation rates. We identify the best high schools ranked by the academic offerings they offer.