What We Do

Our Mission

We are young people co-creating more just, democratic Kentucky schools and communities as education research, policy, and storytelling partners.

How it Started

Our History

2012
Researching the Possibilities

We spent a year researching and then pitching a proposal to the Prichard Committee to engage students as education advocacy partners.

2013-15
Making the Case & Building Capacity

We promoted the value of student voice in Kentucky and developed a community and culture of support around it.

2016-17
Amplifying Student Voice on Climate & College

We trained and supported students as school improvement partners, conducted school climate audits, listened to students about college affordability & access barriers.

2018
Mobilizing Around School Safety

Rallied students to advocate for more school counselors in the wake of school shootings in Marshall County, Kentucky & Parkland, Florida

2020
Informing on Covid-19

We created the Coping with COVID-19 Student-to-Student Survey, which reached almost 10,000 students in all 120 counties during the early months of the pandemic and released a report, which was later published in a scientific journal.

2021
Advancing Youth Agency

We became an independent youth-led nonprofit and successfully advocated for the permanent inclusion of student and teacher seats on the Kentucky Board of Education.

2022
Democratizing Education Research & Reporting

We led a statewide study of students on race, ethnicity and belonging in school and launched The New Edu education journalism site.

a few things we're proud of

Some of our Accomplishments

Courthouse Icon

CHANGED LAW

Made Kentucky colleges more affordable for 8,000 low-income students with our “Powerball Promise” campaign

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WROTE BOOK

Solicited stories from thousands of Kentucky students about college affordability leading to the publication of a book, Ready Or Not: Stories From the Students Behind the Statistics

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LAUNCHED SITE

Launched the first youth-run education newsroom in Kentucky, The New Edu, centering student perspectives within Kentucky’s education system

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made space

Advocated for the inclusion of student representatives on the Kentucky Board of Education, district school boards, and School Based Decision Making Councils

Our Squad

Leadership Team

Adult allies and students partner to support youth-led work as an intergenerational team.

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Nisha Ajana

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Rachel Burg Belin

Managing Partner & Co-Founder
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Adult Partner
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Sarah Belin

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Sadie Bograd

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Michaela Bowman

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Andrew Brennen

Board Chair, Senior Advisor, & Co-Founder
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Board Member
Senior Advisor
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Cadence Brown

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Zachary Clifton

Board Member & Senior Advisor
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Board Member
Senior Advisor
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Chase Colvin

Research Coordinator & Board Member
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Student Leader
Board Member
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Ian Coon

Operations & Communications Partner
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Adult Partner
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Joud Daleh

Senior Advisor & Board Member
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Senior Advisor
Board Member
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Daniela DiGiacomo

Senior Research Partner
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Adult Partner
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Simon Drake

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Raima Dutt

Senior Advisor & Board Member
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Board Member
Senior Advisor
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Isabella Edghill

Journalism Co-Lead, Editor in Chief & Board Member
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Board Member
Student Leader
Author
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Sara Falluji

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Connor Flick

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Abraham Garcia-Romero

Board Member & Senior Advisor
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Board Member
Senior Advisor
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Audrey Gilbert

School Climate Lead, Board Member & Senior Advisor
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Board Member
Senior Advisor
Student Leader
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Patrick Graboviy

Research Coordinator & Board Member
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Student Leader
Board Member
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Nicholas Hazelett

Senior Advisor & Board Member
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Archived Author
Senior Advisor
Board Member
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Krupa Hegde

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Peter Jefferson

Voucher Campaign Coordinator & Board Member
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Student Leader
Board Member
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Zoë Jenkins

Senior Advisor & Board Member
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Senior Advisor
Board Member
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Tapiwanashe Kunaka

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Ivy Litton

Policy Coordinator & Board Member
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Student Leader
Board Member
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Jeliah Logan

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Ray Loux

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Addison Lowry

Podcast Coordinator & Board Member
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Student Leader
Board Member
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Beth Malcom

Board Member
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Board Member
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Anna Marasco-Quibrera

Senior Advisor & Board Member
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Senior Advisor
Board Member
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Ellen Mueller

Communications Coordinator & Board Member
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Student Leader
Board Member
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Anopa Francis Musoni

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Minhal Nazeer

Board Member & Senior Advisor
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Board Member
Author
Senior Advisor
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Zoe Newsome

SANE Liaison & Board Member
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Student Leader
Board Member
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Spandana Pavuluri

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Viet Pham

Podcast Coordinator & Board Member
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Student Leader
Board Member
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Will Powers

Policy & Public Engagement Coordinator & Senior Advisor
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Adult Partner
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Michelle Price

Accountant & Bookkeeper
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Adult Partner
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Kira Pusateri

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Tala Saad

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Luisa Sanchez

Cross-Org Coordinator; Journalism Co-Lead, Senior Editor; Board President
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Board Member
Student Leader
Author
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Maanya Sankara

SANE Liaison & Board Member
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Student Leader
Board Member
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Eliza Jane Schaeffer

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Emanuelle Sippy

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Susie Smith

Senior Advisor
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Archived Author
Senior Advisor
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Arivumani Srivastava

Development Partner, Board Secretary & Senior Advisor
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Board Member
Adult Partner
Senior Advisor
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Rainesford Stauffer

The New Edu Managing Editor
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Adult Partner
Author
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Khoa (Ai) Ta

Policy Coordinator & Board Member
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Author
Student Leader
Board Member
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Laney Taylor

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Pragya Upreti

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Anvika Vangala

Associate Communications Coordinator & Board Member
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Student Leader
Board Member
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Aiden Vilo

Senior Advisor
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Author
Senior Advisor
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Amanda Wahlstedt

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Hayden Watkins

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor
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Colton Williams

Senior Advisor
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Senior Advisor

Cumulative Donors

*Donor list includes cumulative amounts since the Kentucky Student Voice Team became independent in January 2021.

The Kentucky Student Voice Team is honored to be fiscally sponsored by the Blue Grass Community Foundation.​

$100,000 and Above

$100,000 and Above

$50,000 and Above

$50,000 and Above

$25,000 and Above

$25,000 and Above

$10,000 and Above

$10,000 and Above

$5,000 and Above

$5,000 and Above

$1,000 and Above

$1,000 and Above

$250 and Above

$250 and Above

Up to $250

Up to $250
The Allstate Foundation

The Allstate Foundation

Lisa Adkins

Lisa Adkins

Hiatt Allen

Hiatt Allen

Kay Augustine

Kay Augustine

Justin Bathon

Justin Bathon

Cynthia Baumert

Cynthia Baumert

Rachel and Bruce Belin

Rachel and Bruce Belin

Ruth Belin

Ruth Belin

Rania Belmadani

Rania Belmadani

Ben & Jerry's Foundation

Ben & Jerry's Foundation

Bezos Family Foundation

Bezos Family Foundation

Brigitte Blom

Brigitte Blom

Judith Bradley

Judith Bradley

Andrew Brennen

Andrew Brennen

Melody Brooks

Melody Brooks

Harvey and Sondy Burg

Harvey and Sondy Burg

Lydia Burns

Lydia Burns

Sandra Noble Canon

Sandra Noble Canon

CELO

CELO

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Colorectal Surgical and Gastroenterology Associates

Colorectal Surgical and Gastroenterology Associates

Sarah Dewberry

Sarah Dewberry

William Earp

William Earp

Education 21C Foundation

Education 21C Foundation

Education Justice Research & Organizing Collaborative

Education Justice Research & Organizing Collaborative

Raphael Finkel

Raphael Finkel

Gentry Fitch

Gentry Fitch

Sarah Ellyn Gilbert

Sarah Ellyn Gilbert

Krupa Hegde

Krupa Hegde

Institute for Citizens and Scholars

Institute for Citizens and Scholars

Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg

Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg

Kentucky Association of School Superintendents

Kentucky Association of School Superintendents

Kentucky Partnership for Families and Children

Kentucky Partnership for Families and Children

Joshua Komarek

Joshua Komarek

Lift a Life

Lift a Life

National Geographic

National Geographic

National Urban League

National Urban League

Robert Nesmith

Robert Nesmith

Sharon Nesmith

Sharon Nesmith

Dominique Olbert

Dominique Olbert

Dennis Pearce

Dennis Pearce

Project AWARE

Project AWARE

Jennifer Pusateri

Jennifer Pusateri

Rice University

Rice University

Rona Roberts

Rona Roberts

STRIVE Together

STRIVE Together

Schott Foundation for Public Education

Schott Foundation for Public Education

Seek Common Ground/New Venture Fund

Seek Common Ground/New Venture Fund

Zachariah Sippy

Zachariah Sippy

Strada Fund

Strada Fund

Barbara Sutherland

Barbara Sutherland

Rita Swan

Rita Swan

Laney Taylor

Laney Taylor

Teach for America Reinvention Lab

Teach for America Reinvention Lab

Thriving Youth

Thriving Youth

William Trent

William Trent

Vela Fund

Vela Fund

Walton Family Fund

Walton Family Fund

World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh

World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh