About the Council
The Beyond School Bells (BSB) Youth Leadership Council (YLC) was created to raise youth voice in afterschool and summer programs across Nebraska. The council is made up of high school students who currently work in their local afterschool programs. As a part of this semester-long experience, council members created and proposed projects to either improve an aspect of their afterschool program or fill an unmet need within their afterschool community.
Here are the details:
- Eligibility: Any high school students who are currently employed by an afterschool or summer program are eligible to apply.
- Meetings: Students will be expected to attend approximately nine one-hour YLC meetings held by Beyond School Bells (BSB) via zoom throughout the semester (average of two to three meetings per month).
- Duration: Membership on the council will last one semester.
- Compensation: Students will be paid a stipend of $250 from BSB, contingent on participation in and completion of the council, including their YLC Project Proposals (see below).
- YLC Project Proposals: Students will be guided through the process of creating a YLC Project Proposal by BSB. As a part of this project-based learning experience, students will choose an aspect of their afterschool program they would like to add to or improve upon and create a proposal on how they would make that addition or improvement.
- YLC Project Implementation: Final YLC Projects Proposals will be eligible for up to $500 of funding from BSB for implementation in their afterschool program, contingent on approval from BSB and their Afterschool Program Director.
Highlights from Our Spring 2023 YLC Cohort
A total of 11 high school students from 7 different communities across Nebraska completed the inaugural Spring 2023 YLC experience. Throughout the semester, students developed their YLC projects, receive professional development, and learned from their peers about how to engage students in their afterschool programs. Here is what one student had to say about the experience:
Based on the student feedback survey, we would say this experience was a success!
- 82% of YLC members feel more comfortable taking a leadership role in their program after participating in the BSB YLC.
- 91% of YLC members learned one or more tactics to better engage with students this semester.
- 100% of YLC members would recommend membership on YLC to a friend.
