The student activists who’ve gained national attention since a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., can help educators understand a lot more than their views on gun policy.
In an era when schools are searching for ways to promote civic engagement and student voice, these teens provide powerful examples.
When Emma González gave an emotional speech that went viral in the days after she survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, she held up her AP government notes. When survivor and activist David Hogg spoke with reporters near the school, he mentioned his high school journalism teacher.
When Chicago student Alex King spoke at the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., he led the massive crowd in a clapping exercise he learned at school. And Newtown, Connecticut’s Jackson Mittleman has partnered with his classmates to help push for new gun laws in the years since the 2012 school shooting in his town, when he was just 11 years old.
On Thursday at 11 a.m. eastern time, I’ll interview these students in a panel discussion at the Education Writers Association’s National Seminar in Los Angeles. You can watch our conversation on a livestream hosted on the Education Week website. Go ahead and visit now to set up an email reminder or a calendar alert.
I hope the students can help us understand what motivated them to step into the spotlight to address such a contentious issue, how their experiences at school have influenced their work, and their views on school safety. I hope you’ll join us.
Here are some Education Week stories you can read in advance:
- ‘Let the Youth Lead': Student Activists Nationwide Demand Change After Parkland Shooting
- Will ‘March for Our Lives’ Win the Stricter Gun Laws Students Demand?
- Parkland Victims’ Families Have Pushed for Change. Here’s What They’ve Accomplished.
- Watch: Chicago Teens Discuss Gun Violence