Youth Power Institute
Building Leaders, Building Power: Youth Power Institute is a 5-week summer program focused on building Youth Power and Student Voice. The idea is that young people have the solutions to problems that impact them, YPI is where they discover how to implement them. Students across Wake County come together to learn how to strategize, organize, and mobilize to create systemic change, particularly focusing on ending the school-to-prison pipeline in WCPSS. This student-led opportunity, facilitated by EJA staff, young people are provided with resources and knowledge to develop policy demands, engage the community around those demands, and hold decision-makers accountable. Students have the opportunity to hear and learn from other students, organizers, and social justice advocates.
Youth Power Fellowship
Deepening Knowledge, Driving Action: The Youth Power Fellowship is a program where middle and high school students gain leadership skills, build relationships, and make a real difference in their education. Through bi-monthly sessions from October to May, they learn how to organize and advocate for themselves and other students to effect change in the public school system. Students explore community organizing methods and how to hold decision-makers accountable. They participate in field trips, workshops, and other activities to help them learn and grow. This youth-led fellowship encourages youths to lead, think critically, and use their voice to drive action.