RAISE YOUR

Your voice has power. Ever felt like your thoughts, experiences, and ideas about school could spark real change? Now’s your chance. The Baton Rouge Youth Voice Initiative is dedicated to hearing from YOU. Together, with your feedback, we're working to enhance our schools for everyone.

READ 2023 YOUTH VOICE REPORT

Roadmap to

The Baton Rouge Youth Voice Initiative serves as a catalyst to engage students about their education system, creating a sustainable pathway for the inclusion of student voice. Below are the steps of how we plan to accomplish this:

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1. Amplify Youth Voice

The Youth Voice Initiative is an interactive and immersive project created to generate a student-driven report on education in Louisiana’s capital city.

2. Gather Student Experiences

Students in Baton Rouge participate in a series of listening sessions, peer interviews, focus groups and digital surveys to provide candid insight to their educational experience.

3. Start a Policy Conversation

We aim to increase Baton Rouge students’ capacity to engage with local decision-makers through meaningful dialogue and storytelling.

4. Impact Future

The Initiative’s final report will serve as a catalyst to engage students about their education system, creating a sustainable pathway for the inclusion of student voice.

Real Student Stories

inform our future

Last year, we witnessed firsthand the transformative power of student feedback. Your stories, insights, and experiences play a pivotal role in driving progress. Baton Rouge's future shines brighter when we actively engage our youth, valuing and acting upon their truths.

Over 500

Surveys Taken

19

Schools Represented

5

Truth Booth Activations

The Baton Rouge Youth Voice Initiative

is a collaborative project of the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council, Baton Rouge Alliance for Students and Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR. 

Through this Initiative, we seek to:

- Identify the highest areas of need in the community from a student’s perspective

- Elevate student voice in K12 education policy
‍
-Develop a pipeline for student engagement at all levels of EBR government systems

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What is
Avatar Squad?

Avatar Squad is a drop of custom illustrative characters, created by Bob Hanken, aiming to express culture, personality and individuality. Through hand-drawn hairstyles, facial expressions, and clothes, Avatar Squad embraces what it means to be on the common ground but having a sense of individuality.

Get Yours Now
Avatar Squad NFT Website Template Asset

The Truth Booth

The Initiative created a unique activation experience called the Truth Booth to help students advocate on their own behalf, in their own words. The Truth Booth is a 100 sq ft pop-up that travels Baton Rouge to record the voices of students across the city via video confessionals and digital survey captures.

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Student Voices

Raising Their Voice

"Something that stands out is the casual environment of being uncomfortable. They want to go home and leave. I wish the teacher themselves were accepting of how kids will act and their interests . Because in class we have to be quiet all the time and just do our work, and can't goof off, and be serious. Oftentimes they forget we are still kids. It makes them less engaged and become more likely to daze off in class."

- Amya

I go BRH, the school provides a lot of high level classes and AP classes which I appreciate and there's a lot of people that work hard at my school. Sometimes it's a little stressful in classes, but I put that on myself due to signing up for the classes. No, I don't see myself living in Baton Rouge, there’s not a lot of opportunities that would keep me here in Baton Rouge for a long time. I like interacting with other people in my classes.

- Conrad

"Probably the first thing that comes to mind is the BR education system is the magnet and gifted program. The various schools I attended had different opportunities and ethnics groups, and backgrounds. Thankfully my parents being college professors allowed me to have resources other students wouldn't have. I wish teachers see what happens behind the scenes and differences students have coming in with and makes us not on the equal playing field."

- Luka

"I think what stands out to me that the schools in Baton Rouge are so divisive. And I think I found that, I think at my school  there are even divides within the schools. I think a lot of  it is race obviously and class but I think it is being furthered by parts of the community breaking themselves off, like St. George and trying to limit other parts of the community."

- Anna

Rarity

Each NFT is algorithmically generated by combining 120+ unique traits across different categories. There are only 13 legendary NFTs available for grabs.

Common
Folk
Uncommon
Dudes
Rare
Gang
Ultra
Team
Legendary
Squad
Rarity NFT Website Template Asset
Avatar Squad NFT Website Template Asset

Creator

I'm Bob Hanken, a full time creator and illustrator based in New York. I have more than 8 years of experience in experimenting with digital art.

When I'm not designing, you can either catch me surfing, at a coffee shop somewhere, or on my private Discord.

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The Baton Rouge Youth Voice Initiative is a Project of

Partners

Frequently Asked Questions

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Stay Connected

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Check out these great stories about our work in the community supporting our students!

Official Press ReleaseLAUNCH: Baton Rouge Youth Voice Initiative