Youth Summits
A Closer Look at Exemplary Youth Summits: Illinois
Illinois: Policy Analysis and Community Service
By Beth Swanson
Now in its sixth year, the Illinois
Youth Summit program combines in-class policy analysis with community service to
address issues of violence and public safety for high school students in the state of
Illinois. More than 1,000 students at over 20 Illinois high schools annually take part in
this program.
The specific focus of the summit is developed by a Student Advisory Committee, who then
select policies and programs to research and discuss at the summit. Working together with
teachers, community leaders and representatives of government, students study, discuss,
and respond to the problem of violence using a special five-unit curriculum prepared by
the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago. In addition to a school and community
survey, students design and implement a service project in their school to address one of
the selected issues.
The program culminates at the end of the school year in a day-long "summit" at
the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago, where approximately 200 student delegates
representing each campus meet with local, state, and national policymakers to address
these issues. The summit includes a celebration of service that exhibits student service
projects, group discussions with students from across Illinois, and three live
teleconferences with Springfield, IL, Washington, DC, and Lima, Peru. This year's
teleconferences included U.S. Senators Richard Durbin and Peter Fitzgerald; Shay Bilchik,
Director of the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; staff members
of the office of Governor George Ryan; as well as Carlos Humberto Alva, Casa La Juventud
and numerous students from Lima, Peru.
Beth Swanson is State Programs Coordinator for the Constitutional Rights Foundation
Chicago.
>>OJJDP and Youth Summits
>>Lawyers Lead, Participate, and Support
>>Young People Across the U.S. Confront the Problems That
Affect Their Lives
>>Profiles: Addressing Concerns of Young Women; Solving
Problems in the Virtual World
>>Profile: The International Youth
Environmental Summit
>>A Closer Look at Exemplary Youth Summits: Delaware
>>A Closer Look at Exemplary Youth Summits:
Minnesota
>>A Closer Look at Exemplary Youth Summits: Oregon
>>A Closer Look at Exemplary Youth Summits: Illinois
>>Conclusion: The Future of Youth Summits; Best
Practices
>>Resources and Links
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