Our Programs
Our programs are designed to equip high school students with the leadership skills, confidence, and tools they need to succeed. Through hands-on training, mentorship, and community engagement, students grow both personally and academically.
Summer Leadership Program
Offered to students in grades 10 - 12 at no cost to participants
Occurs on a university campus over 8 full days (9:00 to 3:00)
Every day of the interactive program, students learn to embrace their identities, engage in constructive dialogue and team building with peers, hear life stories directly from diverse leaders in various careers, learn and discuss critical theories and research skills, and enjoy continental breakfasts and hot lunches from different ethnic restaurants.
During the program, students work together to identify a problem or issue of concern to them. In the fall, they conduct research, create presentations, and bring their collective voice and ideas to decision makers in their school or community.
Penn State Lehigh Valley and Quakertown Community School District have been co-sponsors since the program began in 2023
Through a combination of identity exploration, team building, proactive circles, exposure to different YPAR projects, class discussions with diverse guest speakers, and individual reflection, students develop critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving skills, learn to listen, communicate, and advocate through constructive dialogue, as well as develop greater understanding of the power of research to effect change in their school or community.
YPAR (Youth Participatory Action Research) is a powerful approach to research that involves young people in every step of the process, from identifying research questions to analyzing social problems of importance to them and presenting their findings to school or community stakeholders. Students learn about the history and philosophy of YPAR and how it has been used to address social issues in communities around the world.
Benefits: Students build awareness of their inherent assets, unearth their confidence and leadership skills, develop critical consciousness, and begin to use their voices to advocate for change.
Student Voice Award Scholarships
Established in 2024, the Student Voice Award is a scholarship ($500 or more) given to senior high school students who have attended the Student Voice Initiative Summer Leadership Program and are planning to attend college or trade school. They take pride in their identity and represent values of community, service, and social justice advocacy. They are resilient leaders of their high school community who use their voices to lift others by building awareness of student stories not often heard, elevating diverse perspectives, and by creating safe spaces for students of Color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, or those with diverse abilities.
For Students and Professional Groups
Story Exchanges
Tailored to your groups’ needs, story exchanges can be held at schools, businesses, nonprofits, or recreational facilities for clubs, teams, homeroom classes, after school programs, or employee groups, parents, or board members. These exchanges are designed to create space for partners and groups to share stories, reflect, and build connections.
Student Voice Initiative can facilitate exchanges or train your staff to lead one. They can be tailored to group goals, themed questions, or developed organically. An exchange can be conducted in one longer session or broken out over time, depending on the number of participants and group needs.
Benefits: Story exchanges often result in strengthened bonds, deeper cross-cultural understanding, and an increased sense of well being among participants.
Professional Development
Collaborative culture building PD can be tailored for schools, nonprofits, small businesses or corporations seeking to build and maintain a positive environment
Shift from negative relationship dynamics to building stronger connections through story telling, listening, meaningful dialogue, reflection, and collaborative problem solving
Suitable for teams, cross-functional department leaders, administrators, and board members
Can be designed for single meeting, full or half-day sessions and include a written summary of key takeaways from your workshop
Stories of Voice,
Growth, and Change
Student Voice Initiative empowers diverse high school students to discover their voices and develop as leaders through immersive leadership training, storytelling, and Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR). By fostering belonging, confidence, and critical thinking, we help students advocate for change in their schools and communities while building skills that support lifelong success.
Building Belonging Through Dialogue
Student Voice Initiative creates intentional spaces where students share stories, listen deeply, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Through guided conversations and storytelling, participants build empathy, strengthen relationships, and develop a sense of belonging across differences.
Elevating Voices Not Often Heard
We center the voices of students who are historically underrepresented in leadership and decision-making. By encouraging authenticity and critical reflection, students learn to speak confidently about their experiences and advocate for equity and positive change in their schools and communities.
Student Leadership in Action
Students move beyond conversation to action by identifying real issues that matter to them and collaborating on solutions. Through youth-led research, teamwork, and presentation of findings to decision-makers, students develop leadership skills that translate into lifelong civic engagement.
Join Us in Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders.
Partner with Student Voice Initiative to support student leadership, inclusive dialogue, and meaningful change.
© 2026 Student Voice Initiative – All Rights Reserved. Student Voice Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with EIN 99-3241141.