The 2020 New Voices Student Leaders Institute kicks off today, and we are proud to introduce the inaugural class of New Voices Student Leaders.
Meet the 2020 New Voices student leaders!
The 2020 New Voices Student Leaders Institute kicks off today, and we are proud to introduce the inaugural class of New Voices Student Leaders. These 23 students, hailing from nine states, represent all facets of the New Voices student movement. Some have been censored, while others know what it’s like to be trusted by their administration. Some live in states with New Voices bills nearing the finish line; others are at the start of the legislative process. Some work on the newspaper staff, some are on yearbook, and some are non-journalist allies. Some will graduate in 2021; others are here for a few more years. None are strangers to leadership, and all have committed to expanding the New Voices coalitions in their state and pushing their legislation forward in the coming months. We are thrilled to have them on board, and excited to see what they do next.
New Voices is a student-driven movement, and every student involved has a pivotal role to play. The response to the New Voices Student Leaders Institute was overwhelming. If you or your student was not selected as a Student Leader this year, stay tuned – we’ll have some announcements for you soon.
New to New Voices? 5 things you can do right now
If you’ve been wanting to get involved with New Voices but didn’t know where to start, consider this your starting line! Here are 5 quick and simple things you can do to start your New Voices journey from the comfort of your own home. Remember, being an activist doesn’t have to be organizing rallies and marches! It can be as simple as talking to some friends, sending an email, or sharing your thoughts with your local community.
Report from the states
Hawaii
The Hawaii Senate Education committee came back from COVID-related hiatus and immediately moved HB1529 bill to the Judiciary committee, the bill's final hurdle in the Senate. Unfortunately the Judiciary committee deferred the bill until 2021, citing the COVID crisis and a desire to put forward only bills that would not need amending in conference. The bill - which was almost entirely unopposed during its 2020 run - will be reintroduced next year.
Don’t forget to send us the things you’re proud of this month!
With state legislative seats across the country up for grabs, legislators are usually out and about trying to shake hands, start conversations, and have debates. This year, social distancing means a lot of that can’t happen, and that your current and future elected officials are at home and hungry to hear from their constituents. Call or write the candidates and get their support for New Voices legislation on the record. From school board to state legislature, now is a great time for you to reach out, make sure candidates know about New Voices and why it matters, and what student journalism has been doing for your community these past several months.
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Forward it to anyone you know who is interested in New Voices, and ask them to sign up themselves here.
