Change The State Application
Yellowhammer Youth, the student-run digital space for young people in Alabama to express their opinions, is launching a huge new project.
Change The State is a leadership training program for young people with an emphasis on political and cultural action. Basically, we will train exclusively middle/high school students to organize, strategize, and work together to create the change they want to see in Alabama.
This is completely free, only for youth, and not associated with any political party. Also, you do not have to have any previous experience in activism or politics.
What you will learn:
- How to create not only a political change, but a cultural change in Alabama
- Key strategies to impact the fabric of our state as a young person
- How to work together with other students
- How to help underrepresented communities
- What it is like to organize for what you are passionate about
- How to be an awesome youth activist
Details:
- Teachers differ based on city, but they will all be high school or college youth activists currently working to change the state. You will find out who your teacher is upon acceptance.
- This is a 4-6 week program in total. The scheduling of it will depend on your teacher's schedule as well as your own. We predict it will be every weekend or every other weekend, but it depends.
- The training classes will be held wherever your teacher decides. Probably libraries, coffee shops, or community centers.
- It is completely free, but if you have a laptop that is great! If not, we can totally make it work.
Criteria:
- Must be in middle or high school
- Must currently reside either in the training city or somewhere close to it in Alabama
- Must have a passion for either politics, social change, young people, your community, or changing the world
We are currently doing a pilot program of this training course in 4 cities: Tuscaloosa, Mobile, Birmingham, and Huntsville. If these are a success (which we think they will be,) we will expand to 4 more cities and keep expanding from there.
To apply for our TUSCALOOSA training program, please complete the questions below: