Students Lead the Way on Advocacy Day
By Kim Daly, Contributing Writer | Top photo courtesy of Animas High School.
On the League’s 2025 Advocacy Day, the State Capitol buzzed with 137 students and 52 educators, bringing together 26 charter schools from across the state. Collectively, they engaged with 35 legislators, sharing personal stories and perspectives that illustrate the importance of charter schools in Colorado's public school landscape.
Among the participants was Harsha Chundru, a senior at Prospect Ridge Academy and a 2025 Charter Champion. His involvement is a result of his own positive experience. “There’s a lot of representation for charters, but we need to do more to advance them,” he explains. Chundra, a soccer team captain and National Honor Society President, has always enjoyed connecting with people. His most significant takeaway from the event? The multitude of perspectives among his peers at other schools. It’s important everyone speaks up, he says, because “no person has the same story.”
Cynthia Akinbobola, a senior at DSST Green Valley Ranch (GVR), also attended. “Many legislators are against charters,” she states. “We’re here to prove them wrong.” At DSST GVR, she says every student has an educator they can look to as a role model, and the school’s College Success Team provides critical support in a safe environment.
Afoyma Eshete, also a DSST GVR senior, adds that it's important to her that charters flourish not only for her generation but also for the next. “My teachers made me feel seen and heard,” she says. “I want my little sister and cousins to have that choice too.”
A Youth Advocacy Adventure
Animas High School (AHS) in Durango used Advocacy Day as inspiration for its 1st Annual AHS Denver Youth Advocacy Adventure. Nine juniors and seniors, many of whom are Student Council representatives or Student Ambassadors, took part in the opportunity. The trip aligns with AHS’s Experiential Education (Ex-Ed) program, which includes outdoor adventure, service-learning, and civic engagement.
This initiative supports the school’s mission of developing engaged citizens, building leadership skills, and helping those studying political issues connect their academic work to real-world situations.
Libby Cowles, Dean of Enrollment and Community Outreach at AHS, explains why. “Civic engagement and working to bring about change on issues you care about fosters a sense of purpose and community that are powerful antidotes to despair and ennui.”
Her students' observations supported that.
“We heard such powerful reflections from the students about their realization that youth voice matters, the demystification of the political process and their role in it, and the way participating in the trip increased their confidence and ability to speak up about the things that matter most to them.”
For instance, on Advocacy Day, in addition to visiting with Senator Simpson and Representative Stewart, AHS students met with Ellen Buckley of the Women's Lobby of Colorado, who addressed the students' particular interest in gender equity. They also spent a morning with New Era, a leading voice for young people in Colorado politics, continuing advocacy training begun online. An afternoon with DSST's Advocacy Ambassador Team allowed them to network with other youth activists.
As a result, “Students shared that they feel more connected to the political process,” observes Cowles. “Being in the capitol made everything more real and accessible. Feeling respected and heard when we visited legislators was empowering. Speaking with Ellen about intergenerational views on women's rights and how young people are needed to continue the work was powerful.”
Inspiring Educators
For Ashley Carruth, Dean of Experiential Education at AHS, the trip rekindled her love for policy while affirming her goals to integrate more civic engagement ex-ed opportunities into her role.
“I was so inspired by my students and their passion for advocacy, their maturity, and how much gratitude they expressed for this opportunity. Seeing their growth and gratitude reinforced my commitment to this work.” Carruth plans to continue the trip annually and will explore the adoption of DSST’s Advocacy Ambassador program model for AHS.
