Winners have been chosen for the "Minnesota's Future" video contest! In May of 2008, Minnesota will celebrate a big birthday—150 years of statehood, and students were invited to create videos to creatively express their ideas for Minnesota's future. Click here for contest details. See all contest entries.

Group Winners

• 1st Place: Peace by Piece: Teens Speak Out About Violence, by Polar Producers, a North High School After-School Video Group (Deacon, Shauneida, Chatrina, Lue, Aqeel, and Chris)
• 2nd Place: Youth Spaces PSA, by St. Paul Neighborhood Network (Steve, Mark, Aubri, and Peter)
• 3rd Place: Rights for Immigrants, by Gloria, Yaneli, and Marlen

Students are now leading the discussion on two special projects: Alternative Schools and School Safety. We want to hear your stories and ideas! Click on the the links below to join the discussions.

Something else on your mind? While the Groups are where most of the discussion is happening, the main forums are still hoppin' ... Check it out and get the ball rolling on your own issues.

SSO Goes Alternative Group

We're Ashley, Eric, Joe, Molly, Nuny, and Shane. Read our bios.

Among us is a former drop out, a parent, someone who was pushed out of a traditional high school, and someone who turned to drugs. The state has labeled us, "at risk." Some make decisions about our schools assuming that "at risk" = stupid. But that's a leap.

In the SSO Goes Alternative Group we're sharing our stories so we can identify if there are policies we can change that will improve our schooling experiences. Click here for a summary of some of the stories that have been shared so far. We want YOU to share your story, too!

Minneapolis School Safety Group

We’re Brett, Cori, Mai, Nora and Shanaye. Read our bios.

All of us have attended the Minneapolis Public Schools, and we think that if students and teachers trusted each other more there would be less bullying and harassment in school (and if there was less bullying and harassment, students and teachers would trust each other more!).

In the School Safety – Minneapolis Public Schools Group we’re sharing our stories so we can learn more about how to INCREASE trust and DECREASE bullying and harassment. We want to hear your story, too!

"I’m listening. I am working with Clayton Christensen, a Harvard Business School Professor and author of the bestselling book The Innovator’s Dilemma as he prepares a book on K-12 innovation. The stories you’re posting here relate to the research Christensen is doing, and your experiences are great insights into what young people in school are thinking. We are aware that we’re writing about a process we haven’t directly experienced in a long time, so your thoughts are really valuable to us."
Curt Johnson, Citistates Group

"I’m listening. I’m researching the spectrum of online schools in Minnesota, especially how they motivate students to attend school and learn. I know some of you attend these schools, and I am interested in learning from you."
Tim McDonald, Education|Evolving

If you’re reading this site and the ideas students post here are influencing your work, please let us know--even if you’re not a member of the site. It’s really important to the students to know who is considering their ideas. Please send your quote, and we’ll post it here. If you are interested in building your own student voices process, or citing material found on this site for your work, the Citizens League can help. Contact us: studentsspeakout@map150.org.