Ohio Student Voice Workgroup

Are you an educator or school staff person who wants to help students lift their voices and create positive change? Nominate your student for the Ohio Student Voice Workgroup by Sept. 5!

Schools and districts can utilize student voice, which includes students’ thoughts, ideas, opinions, and values, to make decisions and design programming and policy that engages and supports the unique needs of each school and district’s student population.                                            

Student Leadership in Family-School Partnerships shares three strategies schools can use when implementing opportunities for student voice:  

  • Soliciting student voice and responding to feedback;   
  • Engaging students as equal participants and collaborators; and   
  • ​Preparing and supporting students to lead through skill development.   

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce values student voices and launched the Ohio Student Voice Workgroup in December 2023. The workgroup is a forum for a select group of Ohio students to provide the Department with feedback and suggestions concerning education policies and initiatives. During the 2024-2025 school year, workgroup members discussed attendance, literacy, mental health, and math.  

The Ohio Student Voice Workgroup will meet once a month from October 2025 through May 2026. Dates and times for the meetings are determined by Department staff and majority of student availability.  

Student Voice Workgroup Nominations  

For school staff interested in nominating a student for the 2025-2026 Student Voice Workgroup, nominations are now open and will remain open through Sept. 5.  Participants for the new cohort will be announced and invited to attend in Sept. 2025, with the first meeting occurring in Oct. 2025.  

As a participant in the Student Voice Workgroup, students will have the opportunity to:   

  • Learn about policy and initiatives directly from state and local agency members;   
  • ​Ask questions about state educational policy;   
  • Participate in discussions around content presented at each meeting;  
  • Participate in group activities designed to gather feedback from students;  
  • Share suggestions for how they believe the state can make their experience better  
  • Meet and connect with students from different places in Ohio; and 
  • Engage in new project-based learning initiatives and share these with others. 

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws. To request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please contact Abbie Miller, ADA coordinator, at ADAaccommodation@education.ohio.gov or 614-369-4919  (voice) no later than 14 days before meeting date.  

Last Modified: 1/14/2026 2:14:38 PM