Youth Leaders Head To DC For Education Summit

WASHINGTON - Students from high schools and middle schools across the country will travel to Washington this weekend to join administration officials and education policy leaders for the U.S. Department of Education's "Voices in Action: National Youth Summit," taking place at Howard University on Saturday, Feb. 26. The summit will convene nearly 400 students, administration officials and education policy leaders in workshops and breakout sessions to identify what schools and communities need to best prepare students for college and career.

President Obama has set a national goal to once again lead the world in college completion by 2020. Over the next decade, more than half of new jobs will require more than a high school degree. The Obama administration's education agenda has made significant investments in K-12 reform and increased college access to better prepare our students to graduate high school, complete college and compete in the knowledge-based, global economy.

"When students go on to college or career, they're competing with students in China, India and all over the world," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "In order to best prepare students, we need to know that we're making every effort to meet their needs in achieving a world-class education. The National Youth Summit brings together students who have taken responsibility for their education, acted as leaders in their schools and communities, and who can provide the best insight and feedback on what they need to be successful in the future."

From July to November, the U.S. Department of Education convened a National Youth Listening Tour to discuss our work directly with students and learn more about how we can support education reform in states, districts, schools, and communities. Throughout the tour, the Department met with over 40 youth-serving institutions and connected with more than 1,800 middle and high school youth in 13 cities. The tour engaged students in discussions on the challenges they face and asked them to present possible solutions to help communities, families and schools reach the president's 2020 goal.

Voices in Action: National Youth Summit offers participating youth the opportunity to communicate to policymakers key themes raised during the tour and provides them the chance to learn more about the Department's efforts to improve America's schools. The summit is organized around the tour's five most common themes: effective teaching, college information gaps, parental involvement, community mentors and school climate and discipline.

The daylong event will also include workshops as well as music and entertainment from participating youth and youth organizations. Adobe Youth Voices, a global initiative of the Adobe Foundation that empowers youth through technology and media, will kick-off the summit with a student-produced song, entitled "2020 Vision," that shows what communities, families and schools can do to help youth be more successful in school. Additional entertainment includes a poetry slam by Guerilla Arts Ink Entertainment along with performances by DJ Priest and Asheru.

A list of participating organizations follows.

*       Academy for Educational Development

*       Adobe Youth Voices

*       Afterschool Partnership

*       Alexandria Public Schools

*       Alliance for Educational Justice

*       American Institutes for Research

*       Atlantic Philanthropies

*       Baltimore Urban Debate League

*       Benjamin Stoddert Middle School

*       Boston-area Youth Organizing Project

*       Boy Scouts of America

*       Californians for Justice

*       Camp Fire USA

*       Chicago Public Schools- Kenwood Academy High School

*       Children's Defense Fund

*       Children's Integrated Services

*       City of Rockford

*       City of Rockford-Human Services Department

*       Clay County Schools

*       Coalition for Asian American Children and Families

*       Coleman Advocates for Youth

*       Communities in Schools of the Nation's Capital

*       Community Coalition

*       Community Learning Exchange

*       Department of Defense

*       Department of Defense Education Activity

*       Department of Education

*       DePaul University

*       Desis Rising and Moving Up

*       Elev8

*       Elev8 Baltimore

*       Elev8 Chicago

*       Elev8 New Mexico

*       Elev8 Oakland

*       Envoy Project

*       Essential Employment Skills for Youth

*       Families together in New York State

*       Florida Crown Workforce Board/ RAMP

*       Forum for Youth Investment

*       Forward Montana

*       Friendship Collegiate Academy

*       Future of Tomorrow

*       GEAR UP ALLIANCE

*       Girl Scouts of the USA

*       Girl Scouts of the USA; Troop 51027

*       Hawaiinuiakea School of Knowledge

*       Heritage High School

*       Higher Achievement

*       Howard University

*       Humanim

*       InnerCity Struggle

*       Llano Grande Center

*       Make the Road New York

*       Maryland 4-H

*       MIGIZI Communications Inc.

*       Mikva Challenge Education Council

*       Mikva Challenge Teen Health Council

*       Mothers on the Move

*       NAACP Jamaica Youth Council

*       National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education

*       National Association of State Boards of Education

*       National Council of La Raza

*       National Council of Negro Women

*       National Parent Teacher Association

*       National Urban League

*       Newark Youth Connection

*       Newark Youth Court

*       Newton North High School

*       Padres y Jovenes Unidos

*       Peckham RAMP Program

*       Philadelphia Student Union

*       Project VOYCE- Voices Of Youth Changing Education

*       Public Interest Projects (Elev8)

*       Rafael Hernandez School

*       Roca

*       Rock the Vote

*       Sasha Bruce Youthwork

*       Save the Children

*       Sistas and Brothas United

*       Southeast Asian Student Coalition

*       St. Hope Leadership Academy

*       Sunflower Community Action

*       Technology Student Association

*       Texas State Conference of NAACP Units

*       The Arc

*       The Baltimore Student Attendance Campaign

*       The Woodlawn Organization

*       United Way of Southeastern MI

*       University of Chicago

*       Urban League of Rochester

*       Verizon Foundation

*       VOYCE

*       VOYCE -Brighton Park Neighborhood Council

*       VOYCE-Kenwood Oakland Community Organization

*       WA State Legislature Youth Advisory Council

*       Warren J Brown Foundation

*       Young People's Project

*       Young People's Project, Los Angeles

*       Young People's Project, Massachusetts

*       Young People's Project, Mississippi

*       Youth Together

*       Youth United for Change

*       YouthBuild USA