Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and High School Principals:

Youth Advisory Council Applications Open

As the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, I am committed to ensuring that youth play a leadership role in every aspect of their education. I am also convinced that we make better education policy decisions when we engage our students at every level of the policy-making process. As we emerge from the pandemic, it is more important than ever for us to listen to the ideas and perspectives of our youth as we consider policies that will shape their future.

The Youth Advisory Council’s (YAC) mission is to engage youth to help design education policy and to elevate underrepresented voices in the statewide decision-making process. The YAC is committed to helping close gaps in achievement and creating opportunities for authentic engagement for transformative outcomes for California’s students.

The YAC works with the Executive Team and me to advise policymakers on educational issues that affect young people, their families, their schools, and their communities. As we reimagine education, we need to have young people working alongside California's education professionals and policymakers to build a better tomorrow for our state. For more information about the YAC, please visit the California Department of Education’s Whole Child Division web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/or/wcd.asp.

The YAC is seeking applications for the 2022–23 cohort. Applications are open to all California public high school students between the ages of fifteen to eighteen. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 24, 2023. Please email the YAC at YouthAdvisoryCouncil@cde.ca.gov to receive an application.

I encourage you to share this unique opportunity with qualifying students. If you have any questions, please email YouthAdvisoryCouncil@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction