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1) The Student VOICES Advisory Board will ensure that the valuable perspective of YouthBuild students and graduates informs national work to improve pathways for postsecondary access, transition and completion. Through VOICES, two students from each of the seven PSE pilot sites will share their insights regarding crucial supports and significant challenges that have shaped their postsecondary experiences. Students will have the opportunity to reflect on their preparation for postsecondary education while at YouthBuild, their transition experience into postsecondary environments, ongoing support received from YouthBuild staff and alumni, specific incentives and supports which could prove particularly useful in helping more YouthBuild students complete postsecondary credentials and the level of ongoing support received from postsecondary institutions, professors and mentors.
2) The Student VOICES Advisory Board will develop the leadership abilities of participating students and graduates. By engaging in VOICES, students will further develop a set of leadership skills and valuable work experience that will help them continue on a path toward becoming valuable leaders in their respective communities. Students will develop relationships with an expanding network of other graduate leaders, along with a wide assortment of respected thought and opinion leaders in higher education, philanthropy, youth development and workforce development. Along with the opportunity to learn and network with other YouthBuild graduates and leaders within these professional disciplines, participants in VOICES will also have the opportunity to provide meaningful service for future generations of YouthBuild students. By making significant contributions to an emerging national movement to ensure more low-income young people complete postsecondary education and career credential, VOICES participants will positively influence future opportunities available to YouthBuild graduates as well as other low-income young people across the country for years to come.
Expectations of PSE Student VOICES Advisory Board Members:
Students joining the Committee will be expected to participate in three advisory meetings per year via conference call or Webinar. Each meeting is expected to last between 45-90 minutes. All participants will be expected to actively participate and share their thoughts, ideas and experiences.
Beyond these three online/phone meetings, each advisory participant will also have the opportunity to participate in one on-site conference per year. At the two day conference, students will have the opportunity to interact and network with other VOICES participants, YouthBuild USA staff, staff from YouthBuild programs across the country (including their home program), faculty leaders from postsecondary partnership institutions, leaders in the field of youth development, and representatives from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Travel, hotel accommodations and reimbursement for meals will be provided for participants. VOICES participants will also receive a small honorarium to cover their conference participation throughout this initiative.
Participating students will be asked to make a 12-month commitment to participate in the VOICES Advisory Board. YouthBuild USA PSE staff will do our best to ensure that to the greatest extent possible, scheduling does not interfere with students’ academic, work and personal responsibilities. We will ask for advisory board members who cannot attend meetings to inform us ahead of time and share their thoughts with the second member of the team from their site so that the group can benefit from their input.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to make a real impact on the lives of young people who are eager to improve their own lives. For more information about VOICES, please contact Scott Emerick (semerick@youthbuild.org) or Tiffany Murphy (tmurphy@youthbuild.org).
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