A Transformative Leadership Experience for High School Students
📅 July 16-18, 2025 | John Burroughs School
Hosted by The Equity Exchange (TEE)

Are you a local high school student ready to lead, challenge the status quo, and drive meaningful change in your school and community? Are you passionate about creating spaces where all voices are heard and valued?

The Voices of Change Exchange is a pilot leadership experience bringing together 20 St. Louis area high school students—10 from public schools and 10 from private schools—to engage in deep dialogue, leadership training, and action planning for equity and inclusivity.

Program Overview

Over three dynamic days (8:30 am - 6pm on 7/16-17, and 8:30 - noon on 7/18), selected students will:

✨ Amplify Their Voices – Engage in meaningful dialogue and deepen skills to lead impactful change.

🔥 Harness Their Agency – Connect personal experiences with systemic transformation through hands-on leadership development.

🌍 Build Intercultural & Inter-School Connections – Work alongside peers, mentors, and education leaders from public and private schools to develop lasting partnerships and collaborative equity efforts.

🚀 Engage Intergenerationally – Collaborate with The Equity Exchange’s adult participants, ensuring that student perspectives help shape institutional change.

💡 Create Lasting Impact – Develop actionable plans to strengthen intercultural understanding and collaboration in schools and communities.

Program Benefits

✔ Deep engagement with peers from diverse school settings
✔ Leadership skills for an interconnected world
✔ Project development & implementation strategies
✔ Exclusive mentorship and ongoing support network

Who Should Apply?

✔ Current 9th-11th grade students (entering grades 10-12 in Fall 2025)
✔ Passion for leadership and equity-driven change
✔ Commitment to building bridges across school communities
✔ Readiness to move from dialogue to action

Key Dates

📅 Application Opens: March 15, 2025
⏳ Application Deadline: May 15, 2025

How to Apply

✔Students can apply through the form at the bottom of this page.
or
✔Educators, counselors, or community leaders can nominate students using the Nominator form at the bottom of this page.

This selective pilot program has only 20 spots available (10 for Private School participants and 10 for Public School participants). Join this inaugural cohort of visionary student leaders committed to driving meaningful change. Secure your place today and make a lasting impact on the future of education!  

Join us for three days of deep listening, courageous dialogue, and transformative leadership. Together, we will build the foundation for lasting change in our schools and communities.

📩 Questions? Contact: info@theequityexchange.org