Our Turn

Our Turn (formerly Students for Education Reform) trains young people on effective organizing and advocacy practices to amplify their voices – with student leaders and members playing significant roles in advancing education issues and policy changes both locally and nationally. The organizing model facilitates a deep understanding of issues facing students and arms them with skills and confidence to mobilize on behalf of what they believe.

Our Turn builds a base of young people with the goal of fostering long-term relationships in the community. Their programmatic model is strategically designed to 1) Train young leaders how to promote public discourse around their agenda and effectively argue that agenda; 2) Help students learn how to negotiate and understand the importance of compromise; 3) Teach student leaders how to conduct effective “research actions”, other local actions, as well as direct action with education and civic leaders in their communities; 4) Unlock student power to focus these efforts towards holding education decision-makers accountable; and 5) Compel local school boards, state-level education leaders, and the federal Department of Education to formally recognize Our Turn’s student demands which will pave the way for student-designed education change in the coming years.