Youth Regional Technical Assistance Centers (SSA)
The Youth R-TAC aims to offer a year-long platform to empower, strategize, and steer California’s community schools initiative. The Youth R-TAC is a platform created to inspire next-generation leaders and cultivate more spaces where their voices, ideas, and experiences are valued and reflected appropriately. Additionally, the Student Advisory provides critical guidance to Summit planning and implementation.
However, the ultimate goal of the SSA is to invest in transformative education, radical dreams, leadership development, and infrastructure and systems intricately crafted and centered on liberatory practices, healing conclaves, and equitable terrain. The SSA grounds students in the California Community Schools (CCSPP) framework while modeling effective integration of student/adult partnership; students are seen as equal partners and contributors with real decision-making power and collective thought exchange. If you are interested in being a member of Cohort 5 of the SSA, please find more info HERE.
Statewide Student Advisory Handbook
The Statewide Student Advisory Handbook is the foundational guide for student leaders serving on the Statewide Student Advisory Board for Community Schools. It provides an overview of the SSA’s mission, values, governance structure, roles and responsibilities, learning journey, engagement opportunities, leadership expectations, and more. It’s designed to support meaningful youth leadership by equipping students with a shared understanding and the tools needed to influence educational systems and advance student-centered change across California.
The Youth R-TAC are selected through an application process at the beginning of each year. The R-TACs and CCSPP grantees are asked to recruit students meeting the following requirements:
- Demographics: Highest need, based on grantee proposals
- Eligibility for free or reduced-price meals, foster youth status, experience of suspension or expulsion, homelessness or involvement in the justice system, as well as students with disabilities, neurodiverse students, dual language learners, and those from underrepresented minority communities or non-white minority groups.
- Inclusivity across all 8 R-TAC (Regional Transformational Assistance Center) regions.
- Enrollment of students spanning Grades 9 through 12. Middle school students may be considered under special circumstances.
- Mandatory involvement in the interview selection process.
- Dedication to attending monthly virtual gatherings and, as needed, additional preparatory sessions.
Statewide Student Advisory Board Cohorts
Year I
In Year One, the necessity for a platform like the Statewide Student Advisory Board (SSA) became evident, highlighting the significant role students play in discussions about school transformation. As such, in Year One of the Statewide Transformational Assistance Center (S-TAC), an SSA Pilot was formed.
Year 2
The Statewide Student Advisory Board was officially established in year two of the Statewide Transformational Assitance Center. Californians For Justice took the lead on creating the curriculum and were then joined by Alameda County Office of Education staff to support in the delivery of content.
Year 3
In year three, the Statewide Student Advisory Board (SSA) continues to build on its mission of amplifying student voices and championing equity in education. This cohort includes 22 student leaders, representing the majority of our eight Regional Technical Assistance Centers (R-TACs) across California.
Year 4
The Statewide Student Advisory Board Cohort 4 will engage in a combination of political education workshops and project-based learning, with a focus on community schools, racial and educational justice, civic engagement, and youth-led participatory action research (YPAR).
Cohort 5 Coming the Fall of 2026!
If you are interested in being a member of Cohort 5 of the SSA, please find more info HERE.