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Youth ROC In 2004, IWF launched a two-year project called Youth Reclaiming Our Communities —Youth ROC. Led by two young IWF interns, the project was designed to engage students in the fight for school funding adequacy and give young people a voice in the fight for funding reform. Youth ROC worked with high schools to organize students and teach them how to become advocates for their own education. Youth ROC staffers traveled statewide to meet with students and hold events to promote the fight for funding adequacy. Youth ROC was a successful program. Youth ROC members held public rallies, lobbied the legislature, testified at legislative hearings, led a 3 day summit on education funding reform, and sponsored events designed to activate young people. In October 2004, Youth ROC organizers from the greater Milwaukee area met to develop a survey to determine if and how state budget cuts to education are impacting students’ high school experience. Organizers developed questions that would assess students’ experiences related to funding of variousaspects of school, including instruction and support services, curriculum, extracurricular activities, facilities, and student fees. The findings were published in a report What’s Going Down in Our Schools. Youth ROC held a series of Speak Outs in 2005. These events drew hundreds of students at schools across Wisconsin and included student performances such as dancing, singing, or spoken words around school finance reform. Students expressed their concerns about deteriorating facilities, lack of technology, and curriculum cuts. The media interviewed several students at these events, which were also attended by legislators and education advocates. Youth ROC’s 3 day summit, No Funding No Future,was attended by 200 students from 26 school districts statewide. Held at UW-Madison, the event included a legislative forum, organizing workshops, and a march through campus. The Summit was attended by several legislators and DPI Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster, who met with students directly to discuss their concerns. The summit was co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Great Lakes Higher Education Guarantee Corporation, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Office of Admissions and School of Education, Milwaukee Public Schools, the Alliance for Attendance Student Campaign, 100 Black Men of Greater Milwaukee, Inc., the Youth and Service Fund, Brighter Futures, and Impact. Youth ROC recruited hundreds of students and brought the school
funding debate directly to the audience it most impacts. Youth ROC
received statewide recognition for the importance of its work and
organized the next generation to advocate for school finance reform. |