Through the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Community Schools Initiative, local high school leaders are stepping into active roles as co-designers of student advocacy strategies. 

The LACOE CSI’s Student Catalyst Council (SCC) is a structured two-year leadership council designed to enhance student advocacy and shared decision-making strategies under the CCSPP framework. The SCC's goal is clear: successful school transformation is not only designed for students, but it is co-created with them.

Led in partnership by LACOE CSI’s Greater Los Angeles Regional Transformational Assistance Center (R-TAC) and The L.A. Trust for Children’s Health, the SCC includes 10 high school students representing a diverse range of communities across the region: 

• Vilma Aguilar, Madelin Moreno and Ariel Mendez Salinas (Alliance Public Schools)
• Nakila Alatorre (Lynwood USD)
• Miley Del Cid and Hosannah Haile (Centinela Valley Union High School District)
• Caeleb Franklin (Inglewood USD)
• Chinosom Okpara (Hawthorne School District)
• Melinda Ruiz (Aspire Public Schools)
• JinJin Sanglimsuwan (Covina-Valley USD)

The SCC follows a two-part structure designed to translate student perspectives into sustainable practices that enhance student advocacy in schools throughout L.A. County. Their work is guided by Nekhoe Hogan, Advocacy Manager for The L.A. Trust.

During its first year in 2025-26, the SCC members focused on collecting campus-level data at their individual school sites, gathering input from their peers and school leaders to assess the current state of student voice on campus. In May 2026, the SCC attended the National Community Schools Conference, where they presented their first-year findings to educational leaders and partners from across the nation. 

Now, in their second year, the SCC members are analyzing their findings to implement strategies in their schools that will expand student voice and strengthen collaborative partnerships with school leaders. 

“Community schools exist to support students in more ways than one. Beyond academics, they support students holistically,” shared SCC member JinJin Sanglimsuwan. “If you want to support a student, you've got to know them, and that’s where student voice comes into play. To truly understand a student, [you have to connect and talk to them] because who knows students better than themselves.”

Beyond individual school sites, the SCC’s insights will also contribute to LACOE CSI’s broader purpose to support community school implementation across L.A. County. The Greater Los Angeles R-TAC will incorporate the SCC’s findings and strategies into its ongoing technical assistance and resources for community schools countywide.

LACOE CSI looks forward to sharing the SCC’s findings and student advocacy strategies at the conclusion of their term in 2027. By embedding students directly into advocacy strategies, LACOE CSI is building a stronger foundation for the future of community schools and ensuring students are true partners in the CCSPP’s shared decision-making process.