Student Voice

Student Voice & Agency

The Pasadena Educational Foundation’s Strategic Plan emphasizes the importance of student voice and agency in all the work we do. Involving students in decision-making processes enhances education quality, fosters a sense of ownership, and cultivates valuable skills like self-advocacy and collaboration, ultimately leading to a more responsive and student-centered educational system.

Two of PEF’s most notable projects in regard of this is our work to support PUSD’s Student Think Tank and our Building Empathy project.

Building Empathy: Honoring Histories, Identities, and Humanity

Building Empathy is a community-based education project that engages students and teachers in the Pasadena Unified School District in learning about the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and the connections between this dark chapter of American history and contemporary civil rights struggles related to race, national origin, immigration status, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. Building Empathy is supported by funding provided by the State of California through the California Civil Liberties program, administered by the California State Library, and with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

PUSD’s Student Think Tank

The Think Tank is a student-led initiative to create a safe space for high school students to connect across campuses, share their stories and advocate for student representation in district decision-making structures. PEF’s Student Engagement Manager advises, facilitates, and mentors the Think Tank.

Recently, the PUSD Board of Education has accepted the Think Tank’s proposal to implement a Student Assembly and Student Council, both of which will allow all high school students in PUSD to have a voice on the Board.