The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is constantly seeking ways to include student voice in all of the work happening at this agency.
ISBE’s Student Advisory Council (SAC) is one of their most important programs for elevating student voice. The SAC is composed of a diverse group of motivated and engaged high school students from across the state who act as student advisers to the State Board. ISBE deeply values diversity of experience on the council. This group of students have the opportunity to see the State Board’s policymakers in action and work with them to provide student perspectives and concerns on the state’s education policies. Typically, selected students participate virtually and attend meetings in Springfield throughout the school year. While we do not yet know if travel to Springfield will be possible for the 20-21 school year, we still plan to sponsor the Council through virtual meetings.
The 2020 SAC application is now available on the ISBE web site at: https://www.isbe.net/studentvoices. ISBE encourages students with a range of educational backgrounds, including alternative programs, special education, Career and Technical Education, and multilingual education, to apply. The deadline for students to submit applications is May 29, 2020 at 5 p.m. Questions about the program can be sent to jsaba@isbe.net or isbesac@isbe.net.