Civic Engagement & Social Justice Leadership Program
Civic Engagement & Social Justice Leadership Program
While Legal Outreach has always advocated for social justice through educational attainment, the events of the past few years have led us to strengthen our commitment. Sparked by the tragic killing of George Floyd, we held a virtual student forum in June of 2020 to provide a safe space for students to process their emotions and share their thoughts regarding the deaths of African Americans at the hands of the police. The students exhibited a high degree of anger, frustration and disenchantment with the behavior of the police and the operations of the criminal justice system. Yet, they passionately expressed hope because of the protest marches. Most encouraging to us was their desire to channel their emotions into concrete steps to work towards social justice and racial equality.
Listening to the voices of our students, we have expanded our mission to include civic engagement and social justice. We have modified our skill-building curricula to explore issues relevant to the times in which we live, and we have expanded our programming by creating the Civic Engagement & Social Justice Council and Freshman Leadership Institute.
NEWSLETTERS
The Civic Engagement & Social Justice Program is a student-led initiative that teaches LO students to be leaders, organizers, and future change-makers!
Here is a list of the goals the students are seeking to achieve in 2020-21:
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● Create campaigns to address two self-selected issues ● Shed light on the injustices facing minority communities ● Educate themselves on the skills necessary for grass-root organizing ● Partner with other nonprofits and organizations to fight for change |
● Make/connect with similar orgs throughout NYC high schools ● Support social justice initiatives led by LO students ● Encourage LO students to be leaders in their schools and communities ● Build the capacity for a long-lasting program within Legal Outreach |
Listening to the voices of our students, we have expanded our mission to include civic engagement and social justice. We have modified our skill-building curricula to explore issues relevant to the times in which we live, and we have expanded our programming by creating the Civic Engagement & Social Justice Council and Freshman Leadership Institute.
Council Initiatives:
Mental Health Awareness: The Council seeks to give students resources and help them know they are not alone. We are doing this by facilitating cross-generational conversations through an array of mediums.
Food Insecurity: The Council is both engaging in research related to food insecurity issues in New York City and participating in on-the-ground efforts to directly combat these issues by supporting local food banks and meal service organizations.
Police Use of Force: The Council facilitates know-your-rights trainings across the city related to when law enforcement can and can’t use force. It also produces podcasts and newsletters dealing with current events concerning this issue.
In September 2023, the CESJ Program expanded to include a Freshman Leadership Institute. The Freshman Leadership Institute exists to develop the leadership and advocacy skills necessary for the CESJ Council, which they will be eligible to join starting their sophomore year. Taking a learn by doing approach, these students brainstorm and execute smaller, shorter impact projects throughout the year, working as an entire group. This program is sponsored by the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy program, which emphasizes service leadership and skills. This year, the impact projects included a bake sale that benefitted the Astoria Food Pantry and a Hot Ones-style live interview benefitting Make the Road New York.
Follow @civice_socialj on Instagram, @Legaloutreachcesj on YouTube, and Civic Engagement and Social Justice on SoundCloud for all updates from the Social Justice Council!
Interested in Partnering with the Social Justice Council?
Interested in Partnering with the Social Justice Council?
The Civic Engagement & Social Justice Council is open to partnering with organizations that are interested in making a difference in their communities. Organizations can get involved by sponsoring the program and/or by providing guest speakers and mentors for the Council.
Contact Gabrielle Melms