The Student Voices Program highlights the student perspective on issues of educational inequities. In the previous series, we have highlighted why student voice is important – What the issues are and why it is important to have student voice as a part of the conversation. Now we are moving to so what? This series will focus on a model for how student voice can be used at the three different levels of education – the school, the district, and the state.
Students will participate in the Flood Center’s educational equity-focused professional learning opportunities to gain the following competencies:
- Develop a deep understanding of North Carolina’s educational landscape, including its prominent inequities
- Learn to conduct research and policy analysis to inform advocacy efforts to produce equitable strategies and policies
- Co-create, disseminate and facilitate communication materials and crucial conversations for diverse audiences and stakeholders.
Student Voices Fall 2025 Applications are Live!
If you are a high school student in North Carolina who is interested in participating in this program, please complete the application by September 15th, 2025. Please read the student leader expectations below before applying.
Student Leader Expectations
Students who participate in the Student Voices Program are expected to:
- Demonstrate a deep commitment to ensuring every student has access to opportunities and resources to be successful.
- Possess a growth mindset and openness to new ideas and perspectives.
- Attend and participate in all outlined meetings.
- Work independently and collaboratively to complete all assigned tasks and projects to the best of their abilities in a timely manner.
- Be enrolled in a public high school in North Carolina.
- Have reliable transportation to in-person meetings.
- Communicate effectively with their guardians and Flood Center staff around assignments and meetings.
Student Voices Podcast
Welcome lifelong learners to the first episode of the Student Voices Podcast! This podcast provides a platform for students across the state to share their perspectives on educational inequities in classrooms, schools, and districts and their dreams of an equitable education system.
2023 Student Voices Program Participants
Jackson Bryant
Jackson is a Cumberland International Early College High School senior who loves to dedicate his spare time to volunteering in the community. To date, he has joined the board of a local non-profit geared towards advancing underprivileged/academically challenged children, volunteered at a Title I school, and served as an intern at his local theatre. Jackson believes that a proper model citizen is a citizen that dedicates themselves to serving the community and establishing avenues for advancement for those who are less privileged than he is. One of his Bible scriptures is Mathew 20:28, “For even the son of man came not to be served, but to serve others, to give his life as a ransom for many.” To him, it signifies how the most remarkable figure to walk this earth dedicated his life to service, making it Jackson’s duty to continue that distinguished legacy of serving. By being a member of the Dudley Center’s Student Voices, he hopes to live up to that merit; who better to serve than those disadvantaged by a system that is supposed to serve everyone equally?
Paiden Castelblanco
A proud student advocate for educational equity, Paiden serves on the Asheville City Schools Foundation Board of Directors, delivers equity-focused professional development to her district educators through the Racial Equity Ambassadors Program, and volunteers as an assistant in her school’s Exceptional Children’s classroom. Paiden maintains a knack for STEM and zeal for interdisciplinary research, both of which have been nurtured by the Online Program at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Beyond the classroom, she’s ranked top 10 in the state for Pole Vault. Invigorated with aspirational capital, Paiden’s dream is to serve as an attorney under Bryan Stevenson at the Equal Justice Initiative. Passionate about dismantling systems of oppression through the lens of policy, the generational momentum of Latinidad stands in her favor to make this dream a reality.
Jacqueline R. Ureña
I am Jacqueline Ureña of Greensboro NC. I enjoy reading, drawing, painting and anything that has to do with arts and crafts. I have three siblings: Lincoln, Jefferson and Joel. While currently a student at Grimsley High School, I have attended elementary and middle school in the magnet Spanish Immersion Program. This experience enhanced my language abilities and familiarity of Spanish literature.
A true aficionado of warm weather, my favorite place is the beach. In school, my favorite subject has always been English. As an active member in my school community, I am the vice-president of Latinos Unidos and am also a member of the marching band.
After graduation, I would like to attend North Carolina State University and study political science. Ultimately, I would like to make a difference in the world by helping those who can’t help themselves as a lawyer.
Webinars
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Increasing Diversity in STEM
Over the next decade, the U.S. will need one million more STEM professionals to meet the market demand. However, there is a large and persistent underrepresentation of certain social groups […]
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Ensuring Access to Rigorous Coursework for All Students
In 2017 News & Observer and Charlotte Observer utilized their series “Counted Out” to highlight the underrepresentation of students of color and students from low-income backgrounds in advanced placement or […]
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Critical Conversations and Deeper Learning: Pedagogy with an Equity Lens
While it is great to create a culturally responsive curriculum, educators must also understand how to engage in the curriculum. Asking students to engage in discussions regarding their education, learning […]
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What Does Culturally Responsive Curriculum Mean to Our Students?
Recognizing that culturally-responsive curriculum is an important aspect of ensuring equity and meeting the needs of all of our students, this session focuses on the student perspective on what is […]
Student Projects
As high school freshmen, Maya and Morgan earned their Girl Scout Silver Award by creating a documentary about Charlotte’s Black history called “Telling Our Story.” Creating a documentary, however, wasn’t the first idea for their project. But once we decided on our goal – educating Charlotteans and others about the history and success of African-Americans in the Queen City, they concluded that a documentary would be the best format for this. They believe this is important because too often their history isn’t taught and is left unknown. There’s so much that the average person doesn’t know about Black history. With this documentary, Maya and Morgan aim to change that. They acknowledge that, while many documentaries have been made about Charlotte and its rich history, their project is unique because it’s created by two Black girls from Charlotte.