Stetson University College of Law is launching the 2024 Pathways to Justice Academy- A Youth Civic Program. Organizers seek applicants for the program, which is set to take place over 5 days in July, from July 15-19.
Students in the Pinellas County, Florida area who are aged 15-17 are eligible and encouraged to apply, including those who identify as underrepresented due to race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic status, and other underrepresented identities. The program empowers students with the tools and skills they need to foster positive change in their communities and the world at large through in-depth lessons in local government, social justice advocacy, and community engagement. The deadline to apply is Monday, June 17.
Organizers say they felt the need for such a program in the wake of deep cuts to civics education in public schools, which can have a profound effect on public policy and justice. In partnership with Community Tampa Bay’s acclaimed ANYTOWN® Advocacy Academy Program, Stetson Law will continue to engage with and mentor interested participants throughout the 2024-2025 academic year.
“As a steward of legal education and the principles of justice, Stetson Law is uniquely positioned to empower local high school students to learn about and advocate for civil discourse and human rights through our societal structures – structures that they engage with every day,” said Carmen Johnson, Stetson University’s Executive Officer of Diversity, Collaboration, and Inclusion. “We’ve found that students throughout our local communities are passionate and eager to connect around these concepts.”
There is no cost to take part in the program; those chosen will be paid a small stipend.
Inspiring future changemakers
This year’s events will take place both in-person and virtually. Participants will attend classes on Stetson Law’s historic campus, where they will interact with faculty, local attorneys, judges, and other professionals.
“This type of initiative is an important component of our greater university’s commitment to promoting social responsibility and community engagement” Johnson said.
Last year’s program was a remarkable success. Among key takeaways for alumni were the value of voting, the importance of human rights, and how to engage in civil debate.
Kuiper Elza, a student from St. Petersburg High School who participated in the program in 2022, said they learned new ways to be an activist.
“I found it really interesting to learn different tools for how to be an activist and advocate for yourself and communities – and different ways you can educate yourself, educate other people,” Elza said.
What the Youth Civic Engagement program looks like
Law Professor Christine Cerniglia has led several modules within the academy. One included an activity featuring a hypothetical “island” where students built a society from the ground up.
“They took off with it,” she said. “It was awesome.”
Other modules she led were “Human Rights and Global Citizenship” and “Mindfulness and Civil Dialogue.”
Law Professor Judith Scully led “Advocacy, Activism and Social Change,” which introduced students to the critical role young people play in social progress. It stressed the importance of voting and showed students how to be better advocates.
“Students really believe that when they’re ‘right,’ they need to get their point across,” she said. “I think that when they learn that the point of advocacy and the point of activism is to get other people to understand their position – not to be ‘right,’ not to ‘win,’ but to actually help others understand the issues, I think that was a big ‘aha’ moment for many of them.”
The program will take place July 15-19 between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Prospective participants are invited to complete this application by Monday, June 17.
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