Raising voices to drive school quality
Student Engagement | Belonging | Social-Emotional Learning
Addressing Mental Health Through Authentic Student Voice
Legislators and educators gathered in Lansing, Michigan, in November for an informative session on student mental health and well-being. A panel of six students shared their perspectives on mental health and the importance of engaging students to foster a sense of belonging in school, and two school administrators demonstrated how they are addressing mental health by applying data from the MI Student Voice Perception Survey to inform and improve school quality and supports in their districts.
Dr. Katherine Bertolini, Superintendent,
"I'm grateful to have this data at my disposal to inform my community of the very real work we have to do with our students and staff... keeping the mental health of our students at the core of everything we do."
Kenyatta Hill-Hall, Principal,
"The more scholars feel they belong, the more invested they become in meeting the expectations of the classroom community."
"If you want a successful culture, a successful environment and a successful school district with successful test scores and successful involvement and engagement, then you need to sit down with your students and you need to hear them. Because nobody knows what it feels like to be a student other than students.”
- Malea Van Kampen, Cedar Springs High School
Hear directly from students themselves on the importance of elevating student voice in this brief video.
Dr. Tammy Campbell CEO, The Scholar First
Ron Koehler Part 2 
Malea V. Student, Cedar Springs High School