Rancho Cordova youth hold rally at Capitol

by Nicole Jarred
Community Collaborations Manager
Cordova Community Collaborative

The Rancho Cordova Youth Advisory Council held a Youth Voice Event focused on the potential cuts to school budgets on April 30 on the north steps of the State Capitol. The event was an incredible, youth-driven response to the budget crisis. The youth hoped to influence adults who make policies that affect youth by telling and showing them why this is important to them. They felt that it is important for there to be a youth voice about these cuts because this issue affects them the most. The youth noticed that young people had not been asked questions by news reporters, and they had not found quotes from other students in TV and newspaper stories about the budget cuts.

Wanting to be part of the solution, and to be heard, the Youth Advisory Council held the Youth Voice Event. In the early part of the day, the Youth Advisory Council executive members met with their local elected officials to discuss why this issue is important to youth, and to ask their representatives what their plan was to ensure adequate school funding. In the afternoon, more youth joined the executives at the north steps and held a rally. The youth spoke about the direct negative effects of the school budget cuts, asked for donations and spread the word about the issue. At 4 p.m., State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell accepted the youths' donations on behalf of California schools and spoke about the importance of youth involvement and voice in issues that directly affect them.

The Cordova Community Collaborative is a REACH Community Action coalition.