Delegates Doing Great Things

Wayzata rising senior and current Center for Youth Voice youth leader Ankita Kumar was recently awarded $5,000 by the Center for Rising Generations at the Aspen Institute for her project “Elevating Youth Voice in Local Elections – the Wayzata School Board Spotlight.”

The project aims to enhance student voice and civic engagement by providing a platform for student involvement in school board activities and local elections. Key goals include advocating for a student representative on the Wayzata School Board and educating students and families about school board elections. Key activities include creating a “Pledge to Engage” form, building a student interview and reporting team, and using social media to post educational content and candidate information. “Our goal with this project is to bring student insights and voice into school-board related activities and discussions,” says Kumar. “School boards have a significant impact on every student’s school experience. It’s important for young people to understand who is making school-related decisions, and its important for school board members to understand the student perspective.

More than 60 project ideas were proposed by students at the Rising Generations Summitt in Washington DC last June. Kumar’s project was one of only eight to receive the $5,000 seed funding to bring the project to life. “These projects are proof that when young people are given the tools, trust, platform, and space to lead, they get to work building a better world,” said Kaya Henderson, Executive Vice President and Executive Director of the Center for Rising Generations. “Each young leader reminds us that the problems we face aren’t abstract for them. They are urgent and lived realities. What they’ve built is inspiring, practical, and deeply needed.”

When she isn’t educating her community and increasing voter turnout, Kumar participates in Youth in Government and Model United Nations as a appointed official, and also serves as the Wayzata Delegation Steering Committee Secretary. Way to go, Ankita!

For more information on the Wayzata School Board Spotlight, click here.