Flipping the bargaining table and changing your school.

Most student councils feel like party planning committees.

Everyone running for election gives a big speech about how excited and committed and organized they are, or how they're gonna make so many good changes to the school. But... nobody's really sure what a "student leader" should be doing. Like, they can't get rid of homework.

There's a lot wrong with school that can be changed. Fixing disgusting bathrooms, replacing awful lunches, ending unfair grading, or getting $10k in funding for the most critical unmet student need... We can help you get to the bargaining table with school administrators and win. We'll come to a student council/government meeting, listen to what's stressing you out, show you how much leverage you have, and share research-backed strategies on negotiating and advocating for change.

We're a nonprofit run by former window-starers and class-cutters. No matter how hard we tried to escape the system, we felt stuck. Then we did some research, travelling nationwide, talking to 100+ students one-on-one, and sitting down with school administrators to trade phone time for new vocational classes. We realized students don't have to feel powerless in school.

Here's our playbook.

Authorizing peer perspectives

Identify student body needs and anxieties (active listening, motivational interviewing)

Collect data (How many people are eating lunch? Food is a basic need. How much class time is spent on learning? Our numbers are less than 50%)

Acting on unmet needs with SEL strategies

Negotiation and self advocacy 101, plus running trust-building interventions

Find promises your administration has made to the school board. Nudge them to stay on track

Achieving long-lasting change

Themed protests and brief walkouts (and getting teachers advance notice)

Getting clubs, sports teams, and parents on board, plus support from a nationwide community of student leaders pushing for the same changes