Teacher: Carli Stubbs, Dan Slowik, & Kelly Bisbee

Grade & Subjects: Eleventh Grade, Biology and Humanities

School: High Tech High Media Arts

Students put together persuasive speeches on real issues affecting San Diego neighborhoods. The issues included air pollution, flood prevention, homelessness, and firework pollution from SeaWorld and then concentrated them down to two minutes for a visit to City Hall. They presented their speeches during public comment to elected officials, making their voices heard in a real-world setting. Through this process, students researched local issues, brainstormed possible solutions, and refined their public speaking skills. They walked away with a better understanding of how local government works, how the public can stay engaged, and how research plays a role in making informed arguments. This project also tied into biology and Humanities/civics, showing how science and policy intersect in solving real community problems.

Teacher Reflection

This project really showed me that giving students real-world opportunities to speak up and engage with their community pushes them to step up in ways I wouldn’t see in a traditional classroom setting. It was amazing to watch them take ownership, take risks, and make connections with local officials. One of the biggest wins was how open and willing community partners and government officials were to work with high schoolers, which made the experience feel real and meaningful. Next time, I’d like to have students narrow their focus to an actionable solution—something that could actually be adopted into law or practice. I think that would make the project even stronger and give them a real sense of how advocacy can lead to real change.

—Dan Slowik

Student reflection

The city hall project to me was eye opening/ informative. I learned about issues in the community and was able to see a way to fix them. My group and I had a fun time even through it was a little scary.

—Jackson S.