SEJ is celebrating our 5-year anniversary this year in community and youth power. We began hosting our weekly member meetings in-person at the Institute Library, a long-time community partner and supporter of our work. We have since moved our member meetings to the New Haven Free Public Library with whom we’re excited to begin quarterly programming for young people.

In this new year, we’re looking forward to analyzing the data of over 300 responses to our student survey measuring New Haven student opinions on the presence of SROs and metal detectors in their schools, as well as the inadequacies of current mental health resources. Realizing the urgency of mental wellness, SEJ members are researching topics like trauma-informed therapy and restorative justice in order to understand alternatives to policing and punitive measures in their schools. Other SEJ members are working on a semester-long video project that will feature students, teachers, counselors, and SROs discussing mental health in New Haven schools. SEJ members are also getting out into the community: we have upcoming volunteer plans with the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen and local elementary schools. We’ve excitedly welcomed a new youth organizing intern, Ethan, a first-year from ESUMS, as we also prepare for the graduation and subsequent departure of our current youth organizer, Kaatje, who has invested so much time and work with us for the past two years.

We want to thank the following organizations for supporting our work in the past year and for constantly centering young voices with us: District Arts & Education, New Haven Public Library, Institute Library, ArtSpace, NXTHVN, Epic Theater Ensemble, CT Justice Alliance, CT Voices for Children, University of New Haven, LEAP, and New Haven Promise. If you, your school, or your organization would like to collaborate with us this year, please reach out!

Visit SEJ here.