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Civics
Speaking Up for Our School
Meet the Young Change Makers—a group of kids speaking up to help the school they love.
As You Read, Think About: How can you help make changes in your school or community?
It happened day after day. Students at Gloria Casarez Elementary School would trip and fall in the schoolyard, getting cut or bruised. More than 40 kids were injured in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, schoolyard within the first two months of last school year.
“It was dangerous to play in our own yard,” explains 10-year-old Devyn Smith.
Over the years, the concrete in the yard had
But Devyn and his classmates were about to get the job done.
Meredith Edlow/AP Images for Scholastic, Inc.
The Young Change Makers discuss what they wish were different about their school.
Leading the Way
In October 2021, the vice president of the Philadelphia school board, Leticia Egea-Hinton, was invited to visit Casarez Elementary. The students showed her around the school they love. They also pointed out how much of the 133-year-old school needed to be fixed—inside and outside.
Egea-Hinton suggested that the students speak directly to the Philadelphia school board. She pointed out that hearing from the people most affected by the problems might convince the board to make repairs.
Assistant principal Julio Nuñez gathered Devyn and a few other student leaders, who would later become known as the Young Change Makers. Number one on their list was getting their crumbling, dangerous yard fixed.
Meredith Edlow/AP Images for Scholastic, Inc.
Problem Solved! The Young Change Makers helped get crumbling concrete repaired in their schoolyard.
Speaking Up
The kids helped collect more than 160 signatures from parents and teachers on a petition asking for the yard to be fixed. Then, on October 29, 2021, Devyn and fellow Young Change Maker Jayden Hughes spoke to the school board on a Zoom call. They had prepared speeches about the poor condition of their schoolyard and how it affected them and their friends.
“I was nervous,” Jayden says. “But I did it because I knew it would help change my school.”
The next morning, crews began repairing the concrete in the schoolyard. The students—and faculty—couldn’t believe it! After years of adults asking for the repairs, it was kids who finally made it happen.
“We did that,” Devyn says proudly. “We did that by using our voices.”
More to Come
The Young Change Makers aren’t stopping there. They’re now in fifth grade and still meet every month to discuss other ways to improve their school. What’s up next?
“We want air-conditioning in our school,” says Cindy Hernandez. “Sometimes it’s too hot to learn.”
A few days into this school year, the school closed early because temperatures in classrooms were very high.
The kids recently spoke to the school board about it. So far, the air-conditioning problem hasn’t been solved. But the Young Change Makers are going to
“I’m willing to stay in the group until we get it all done,” says Ronald Perez.
You may not be able to solve every problem. But don’t let that discourage you. If you can fix even a few things, you can help change your community.
It’s not always easy to give up your time to help others. But when you accomplish something, you’ll feel good about it. That makes it all worth it.
You might have a great idea, but if you don’t speak up, no one will ever know about it. Students are in school every day, and we have a lot of good ideas about how to fix the problems we see in classrooms.
You may not be able to solve every problem. But don’t let that discourage you. If you can fix even a few things, you can help change your community.
It’s not always easy to give up your time to help others. But when you accomplish something, you’ll feel good about it. That makes it all worth it.
You might have a great idea, but if you don’t speak up, no one will ever know about it. Students are in school every day, and we have a lot of good ideas about how to fix the problems we see in classrooms.
Close-Reading Questions