Youth Driven Social Media Campaign

#Barriers2U, a powerful youth voice social media campaign, highlights the challenges students face on a daily basis in California schools.

Sacramento, CA (July 30, 2014): The Alliance for Education Solutions and the Cross-Cultural Leadership Center (CCLC) at The California State University, Chico are pleased to announce the launch of #Barriers2U, a youth driven social media campaign highlighting the challenges students face on a daily basis in California schools.

Schools are not only places where young people learn, they are also places where young people are affirmed, welcomed, shunned or ostracized. If schools are not safe, how can young people learn? If young people are not supported how can they succeed?

Despite the national focus on improving schools, most “educational fixes” are made without talking directly to those living, and at times surviving, in schools everyday–students.

Without knowing what young people experience on a daily basis, policy makers, administrators, educators and other adults are making decisions that directly impact the lives of students without even asking them what they need.

Youth Voice

#Barriers2U creates the space for young people to use their voice so that adults in power can begin to understand what the experiences of young people in school look and feel like. By speaking out, students hope others will identify with their struggles and begin to voice their own barriers so that collectively we can find solutions.

#Barriers2U is a part of a regional strategy to ensure young people are actively engaged in working with adults to develop the solutions to educational challenges. A joint project of the CSU, Chico Cross Cultural Leadership Center (CCLC) and Alliance for Education Solutions (AES), the campaign was the idea of CCLC paraprofessionals and college students, many of whom overcame their own barriers to attend college. Learn more and watch the video here https://aesimpact.org/barriers2u/

The Alliance for Education Solutions (AES)
AES is dedicated to being an advocate and ally for all vulnerable California students, and is committed to ensuring that young people are actively engaged in working with adults to develop the solutions to educational challenges. According to data collected by AES, in California, vulnerable students disproportionally attend underperforming schools, in high-poverty neighborhoods, with low graduation and high dropout rates. AES believes no challenge is more critical to California’s future than improving student outcomes at underperforming schools. AES works to ensure that all students in California have access to a high quality learning environments with opportunities to be engaged and have their voices heard. www.AESimpact.org

Positive Learning Environment

The Cross-Cultural Leadership Center (CCLC) at the California State University, Chico, CCLC provides the programs and the space to help students stay respected, connected and affirmed in their transition to, and journey through, higher education. The bonds and friendships that are built through the CCLC last a lifetime. The space gives students an opportunity to meet new people, explore new opportunities and build a community that becomes their family. CCLC works in partnership with AES to provide opportunities to engage and empower area high school students through a range of programs and retreats. https://www.csuchico.edu/cclc/