OUR SCHOOLS-OUR VOICES

Introduction: In the fall of 2003 we launched a project to empower students to share their views about school funding with their peers, communities and policymakers. Since then hundreds of students from across Ohio have worked hard to make their voices heard, contributing to a conversation that concerns them directly--how schools are funded.

The Our Schools-Our Voices project is a great opportunity for students to learn more about school funding, and to help make the school funding situation more concrete at the local level. It's also a great way for students to participate in the civic process. There have been many ways for legislators, lawyers, school administrators and other adults to speak out about the school funding problems in Ohio. Our Schools-Our Voices is about making students' voices heard.

Projects: We continue to welcome students and teachers to work with us to fix school funding. If you're interested in getting students at your school involved, give us a call or e-mail. Here are just a few ways to become involved:

Classroom Project for Teachers and Students
Through a series of classroom lessons and surveys, each participating school works locally to study the affects Ohio's school funding system has on their district. So far students and teachers at 15 schools have studied school funding in their classrooms, conduced surveys, organized events in their communities, met with students from across the state and shared their concerns with legislators.

School Clubs
Student-led groups that meet once per month for discussion and activities around the issue of school funding.

What's Your Story?
An on-line compilation of student writing and artwork about school funding.

Classroom Presentations
If you are already studying school funding in your classroom, we'd be happy to arrange for a guest speaker to visit and talkabout school funding.

Media and Events: Here are just some examples of the great work that students are doing across the state.

>> Creating Change: Students, Staff from Van Wert travel to SC, September 2005
>> Local and Statewide Rallies, Spring 2005
>> Testimony on HB 66, Spring 2005
>> "Our Voices, Students Speak Out" -Student newspaper, February 2005
>> School Exchange, February 2005
>> "Can You Hear Us?" T-shirts, January 2005
>> Urban/Rural Student Network to Reform School Funding, December 2004