As a group of current and former North Allegheny students, we are pushing for more diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist policies at North Allegheny School District while also serving as a collaborative platform to educate and inform the community, including children and parents. We have been galvanized seeing the work of America’s future in other schools. We make up a very thin slice of a broader movement of grassroots-level, youth-led change, and are proud that we have the opportunity to work alongside them to promote the vision of the inclusive world we want to live in.
NA for Change held a Roundtable FOR CHANGE on August 6, 2020 at 7:00 PM to bring together student and youth leaders working on the issues of diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism for a discussion on the successes, opportunities, and unique challenges we face, along with how we can collaborate our efforts to provide ourselves the greatest platform possible. We were excited to collaborate with all of the inspiring movements occurring in your schools and look forward to joining together FOR CHANGE! At this roundtable discussion, we informally spoke about our efforts, what we’ve seen work (and not work), how we can work on collaborating in meaningful ways, and how we can best address the issues that we’re facing.
We have seen similar initiatives similar to ours in schools like Fox Chapel, Shaler, Avonworth, Hampton, and Shadyside Academy, although we know there are many others. We wanted to create a space for student-led movements and their leaders to come together to share our progress, successes, and challenges in our efforts.
During this time of racial awareness, youth leaders–not just in Pittsburgh, but across our country–are joining together to promote fundamental change. We, collectively, have been the bell-ringers that have amplified the call to action that rings throughout schools and communities across this nation. We believe now is the time for youth leaders to unite and uplift during this momentous time in history. We believe it is our duty to hold ourselves and our community accountable to the highest standards of learning. We know that that education is a crucial tool in the fight against hate and bigotry and that our schools can realize a diverse educational experience within the classroom and beyond it. We understand that each group of young leaders has approached the issues we care about from different lenses, making our efforts multifaceted.
We would like to thank all who participated in our event and look forward to seeing how we can continue to collaborate and provide a more inclusive future for each other!
NA For Change 