About the Workshop
Presenters: Andres Ortiz, Dr. Faris Sabbah, Marlize Velasco, Laurel Finlayson, Santa Cruz County Office of Education (SCCOE)
Youth and Adult Led
Level: Advanced
For: High school students
Description: Students have an important role in shaping the policies their districts and schools put into place. However, decisions that directly affect the lives of students are often being made without the input of students themselves.
In this workshop, you will learn how you can make your voice heard by stepping into various student leadership roles such as becoming a student trustee on your district’s school board. We will discuss the influence a student trustee can have, and how you can get involved.
About the Presenters
Andres Ortiz (he/him) is the Student Leadership and Engagement Coordinator at the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. He coordinates the Youth Led Leadership Alliance which is made up of six groups including the Queer and Trans Youth Council and the Summer Student Trustee Academy.
Dr. Faris Sabbah (he/him) is the Santa Cruz County Superintendent.
Marlize Velasco (she/her) is a current student at Cabrillo College, and a recent graduate of Cypress High School. She is also the youngest trustee of the Live Oak Unified School District School Board. Marlize is passionate about giving back to her community and helping youth become the leaders of tomorrow.
Laurel Finlayson (they/them) is a senior at Harbor High School and a member of Youth for Environmental Action. They are excited for the opportunity to share their experience from the Student Trustee Academy, and extremely happy to help queer students like themselves make progress and change in our schools!
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