KENOSHA — On Thursday night in Kenosha, students from the Youth Voice Project didn't just attend a KUSD school board candidate forum — they ran it.
They wrote every question, moderated every conversation and they put school board candidates on the spot about issues that directly affect their lives every single day.
WATCH: Kenosha students didn't just attend a KUSD school board candidate forum - they ra
For student Aanya Panchal, it was about making sure young people are part of the conversation.
"We are the ones being impacted by the issues and the solutions the school board creates," Panchal said. "I think it's important for us to really show our voice so we can make a change."
Sophomore Sam Sheen — who reached out to TMJ4 News — says the student perspective is too often left out of decisions that affect them most.
"The youth voice is really important and oftentimes it's a perspective that's not really seen in discussions and is not part of the decision making process for the school board," Sheen said. "I think it's really important that it's factored in and considered."
The students came prepared — developing questions around topics they felt most passionate about including school safety, budgets, and the future of Kenosha schools.
Student Tanvi Aggarwal says the goal was simple — make sure students know exactly who they are voting for and why it matters.
"We are all leaders and we all have ambition to do better and have the community do better," Aggarwal said. "Things like safety and how they'll deal with budgets, those are things that affect all the schools and the students in them."
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