Each year, ACC identifies and uplifts the top priorities chosen by students across the district. These guide our campaigns and advocacy efforts.
Each school year, the All City Council Student Union (ACC) gathers with high schools across the district for the Youth Action Summit in April. At the summit, students participate in workshops on leadership, student advocacy, and restorative justice. They then collaborate to identify the top issues they want ACC to prioritize for the year. The top three issues, chosen by student consensus, guide ACC’s advocacy efforts throughout the year, with announcements made in the fall. This ensures the student voice remains at the center of ACC’s work. Here are this year's priorities:
Expanding school-based mental health services and ensuring access for all students.
Creating safe, restorative environments through policy and practice, not punishment.
Ensuring fair access to quality classes, tech, and learning support across all schools.
At the Youth Action Summit, ACC gathers input from students through workshops, discussions, and activities that allow students to voice their concerns and ideas. The summit includes surveys, RJ circles, and open forums for community feedback to ensure that students' most urgent needs are heard and understood. This collaborative effort helps ACC identify the key issues that students want to prioritize for the year ahead. By actively engaging with the student body, ACC ensures that its actions are aligned with the concerns and needs of the entire district, empowering students to take charge of the changes they want to see..
Once the top 3 priorities for the upcoming school year are chosen, ACC's work revolves around these issues throughout the year. Whether it's engaging in adult-led discussions at board meetings, LCAP meetings, or influencing smaller decisions, ACC ensures these priorities dictate the agenda. ACC also organizes meetings for high school and middle school students, offering spaces for deeper discussions and collaborative problem-solving. Through this organized work, students brainstorm solutions, refine ideas, and mobilize efforts to drive change.
Each school year brings new challenges and different student leaders, ensuring that ACC’s priorities are always aligned with the real, current needs of students. In the past, these priorities have included important issues such as mental health, drug abuse, and school safety. As each new group of student leaders takes charge, they evaluate the pressing concerns of their peers and set the agenda for the year. Whether addressing mental health resources, advocating for stronger safety measures, or tackling substance abuse prevention, ACC’s priorities are shaped by the evolving landscape of student needs. This dynamic approach allows ACC to consistently stay relevant and impactful, reflecting the issues that matter most to the student body at any given time.