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—from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM on July 16–17, and 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM on July 18—students will step into a transformative leadership experience designed to center their voices, deepen their capacity, and build community across lines of difference.

🗣️ Amplify Their Voices – Engage in courageous dialogue, storytelling, and reflection to explore identity, power, and leadership.

🔥 Harness Their Agency – Connect personal experiences to broader systems of inequity and practice tools for leading transformative change.

🌍 Build Intercultural & Inter-School Connections – Collaborate with peers from public and private schools, supported by returning educators who are alumni of The Equity Exchange’s adult equity leadership cohort. Together, students will forge cross-school relationships rooted in empathy, curiosity, and shared commitment to equity.

👥 Engage Intergenerationally – Prepare alongside seasoned educator-leaders from The Equity Exchange network to engage with adult cohort members. Student insights will help inform real institutional change, ensuring youth voices are not just heard—but valued.

🪴 Create Lasting Impact – Design actionable, equity-focused plans to implement in schools and communities—supported by ongoing mentorship beyond the experience.

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 “Nominate a Student” button on 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