Colorado Youth Summit Overview

Goal of the Youth Summit  To develop students’ civic skills, knowledge, and engagement by involving them in authentic study and discussion--with colleagues from around Colorado, experts, and policymakers--of controversial issues of concern to them.

Participating Schools  Centennial High School, San Luis  Chatfield High School, Littleton  Cheraw High School  Cherokee Trail High School, Aurora  Denver Center for International Studies  Gateway High School, Aurora  Gunnison High School  Lake City Community School  Manitou Springs High School  Montbello High School, Denver  Mountain Range High School, Westminster  Northglenn High School  Overland High School, Aurora  Thornton High School  Valley High School, Kersey  Wray High School

Youth Summit Timeline  December 3-4: Professional development for participating teachers.  January: Students take pre/post survey, select two focus issues, and post information on their communities on project Wiki.  Early February: CELD develops curriculum on selected issues. Members of student advisory council from paired schools have conversations.  February 16: First Student Advisory Council meeting. Curriculum posted online.  Mid-February-March: Teachers and students use CELD-provided curriculum to study one or both of the focus issues. Students communicate with other students and experts via Wiki. Student Summit Advisory Council meets March 16 to plan summit. CELD staff will provide technical assistance as needed during implementation.  April-May: Students conduct civic action/service projects related to the focus issues, educating others about the issues and/or making their views known. CELD staff will provide technical assistance as needed during implementation.  April 15: Colorado Youth Summit!

Voting Window  January 20-27: Students vote on Survey Monkey (7-8 issues plus option for students to “write in” an issue). Students can comment on the issues on the project Wiki through January 31.  January 27: CELD tallies the results and sends out final ballot (3 issues)  January 28-31: Teachers take in-class vote and send CELD the results  February 2: Two focus issues announced

Tentative List of Issues  Should students be subject to school punishments for material posted on their personal websites or social networking sites that does not violate the First Amendment?  Should more Colorado water resources be diverted to support urban growth or should urban growth be limited to ensure enough water is available for agriculture?  Should high school graduates who are unauthorized immigrants be able to pay in-state tuition (DREAM Act)?  Should juveniles who commit serious violent crimes be tried as adults?  Should communities be able to ban medical marijuana dispensaries despite voter approval of the medical marijuana amendment?  What should be done about low-performing schools?  Should Colorado adopt a Responsible Bystander Law requiring people who witness crimes to report them?  Other (Please specify___________________)

Intro Lesson  Take pre-survey  Create maps of their school or community to be posted on Wiki  Learn about the summit and the voting process  Vote online, provide reasons for supporting a particular issue on the project Wiki, and take part in final class vote

Student Summit Advisory Council  Purpose: To give students an authentic voice in planning and running the Summit  Membership: Two students per teacher  Activities: Two meetings, leadership in classroom and at Summit  Each Metro-area school will be paired with a school from outside the Metro area. Advisory Council members from the Metro-area school will be responsible for representing their own classmates, as well as the students from their paired school. They will be expected to communicate with their colleagues at the paired school before and after the Council meetings. They may collaborate during the meeting by text or phone. If feasible, the project will provide a small budget to support paired students getting together for a discussion of their shared and differing points of view.  Advisory Council meetings are tentatively scheduled for February 16 and March 16 at DCIS.

Curriculum  Three- to four-day unit on Issue 1 using a simulated legislative hearing  Three- to four-day unit on Issue 2 using a Structured Academic Controversy  Planning guides for doing service/action projects  Reporting forms  Lesson for students who do not attend the Summit to complete on the Summit day

Project Wiki Project wiki will allow students to:  Post information on their schools.  Engage in discussion of the focus issues with students from around the state, as well as experts.  Share information about their class’s work on the issues. Students will have the option to create other technological spaces for disseminating information depending on school policies regarding use of Facebook, etc.

Service/Action Projects For these components, the curriculum will include:  A definition for students  Example projects  Planning form  A reflection log  Form to use in reporting project to CELD

Example Service Projects  Develop a presentation for other high school students or younger students at a school in your community to educate them about a focus issue.  Create a blog devoted to a focus issue.  Invite professors, experts in the field, and policymakers for a roundtable discussion on a focus issue. Invite students from other classes to participate as well.  Create a newsletter or pamphlet devoted to the issue you have selected. Distribute it in your school and community.  Organize an after-school debate on an issue. Invite experts in the field with opposing views to take part.  Develop a radio or public access television presentation or discussion on a focus issue.

Example Civic Action Projects  Contacting people who could take action on an issue.  Working to get the issue on the agenda of organizations or agencies with a stake in the issue.  Writing an op-ed column for the local newspaper.  Lobbying public officials to support your position on an issue.  Testifying at hearings and other public meetings.  Circulating a petition related to an issue.

Summit Agenda (Draft) April 15, 8:30 -2:15  Opening session with high-level policymaker, awards for service/action projects  Concurrent issue discussions in groups of approx. 10 students; experts will be available to answer questions, etc.  Prep for policymaker meetings  Meetings with policymakers  Town meeting and public policy vote