Student Activism
By Dhruv Sonavane | Sept. 30, 2026
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (SCPDA) — Across the country, student activists are advocating for causes on social media, participating in walkouts, and organizing local awareness campaigns. As these teenagers tackle issues ranging from climate change to immigration policies, their efforts are pushing local legislatures to take these young voices seriously—showing how it is possible to be a leader in the community while still being a student. Students and faculty members at Stanton College Preparatory School often encounter activism in person or on online platforms, with numerous students advocating for their own causes or beliefs.
“Student activism is important [for getting] involved and [making] an impact in your school community,” sophomore Thaman Boddeda said.
Nationwide, student activism has experienced a growth in participation over recent years. According to a study published in the Journal of Campus Activities Practice and Scholarship on Sept. 22, 2023, there was a 10% increase in the number of students engaged in activism-related behaviors from 2018 to 2021. These numbers represent a larger trend of teenagers becoming more involved with social issues that are affecting their community, such as racial injustice, environmental sustainability, violence, and individual rights.
However, student activism at Stanton is not a new phenomenon. It comes from a rich legacy of advocacy from the school’s past. According to The Jaxson, a public media organization about urban development and historical preservation in Jacksonville Fla., Stanton was founded in 1868 as the first high school for African-American students in Florida. Stanton was led in the late 19th century by principal James Weldon Johnson, a famous lawyer, writer, and activist. Florida Memory, a state historical project, documented that after the Stanton school building deteriorated in the 1910s, Johnson and local citizens protested to stop the Board of Instruction from replacing the school.
That effort not only maintained the school’s location, but also set a precedent for future Stanton students to use civic action to shape their school and community. News4Jax reported in 2017 that Stanton students launched an online social media protest against prom dress code posters posted in the school. The following year, Stanton students participated in the National School Walkout against gun violence after the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. In 2021, former Stanton student Kennedy Murphy created an online petition to reform the Duval County Public Schools dress code, according to Western Jacksonville Community Television News, a community-owned public media organization serving the Jacksonville metropolitan area. The spirit of activism at Stanton remains prevalent today.
Student activists are often driven to highlight certain issues because of a personal connection to a cause. In May 2026, junior Nour Kishek created Students for Palestine, an organization aimed at connecting the Palestinian community in Florida and ensuring their perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are heard. She was inspired to start the initiative due to the past experiences of her family members.
“My grandparents used to live in Palestine, but when my dad was 16 years old they moved [to the United States] because my grandpa faced violence from Israel Defense Forces officers,” Kishek said.
While personal experiences can motivate students to participate in advocacy, clubs and organizations at Stanton also promote student activism. Students who are passionate about certain issues are able to join or create groups that provide them with a platform to turn their personal interests into local advocacy. One of these organizations is Stanton’s chapter of Health Occupations Students of America, which participates in a yearly medical competition called the HOSA Competitive Events Program. For example, the HOSA Public Service Announcement is an event offered by the competition that involves making a short, informative video about a certain medical concern in the global community. The president of Stanton’s HOSA chapter, senior Grishma Maddukuri, believes spreading awareness about public health issues can be beneficial for community well-being.
“[Public service announcements] can show the effect that certain decisions have on long-term health, such as getting good food and sleep,” Maddukuri said.
Students can also be involved in policymaking and advocate for change in local governments. Although they may not be an official part of the government, public town hall meetings give them an opportunity to become more active members of their community and influence local policy decisions affecting their daily lives. Students from Duval County recently advocated for government change in April 2025 during the introduction of Florida House Bill 5101. According to Action News Jax, this bill would reduce the amount of funding school districts receive for accelerated programs by half. For Stanton students who are in accelerated programs such as International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, and dual enrollment, the ratification of this bill would have negatively affected their academic experience.
“When I heard about the budget cuts, I was not fond of [them],” sophomore Nathan Chen said. “I chose to attend Stanton because of its renowned academic program with IB, so without [funding for] IB I would not be attending this school.”
To oppose HB 5101, students voiced their concerns to the Jacksonville City Council at Jacksonville City Hall on April 22, 2025. First Coast News reported on April 23, 2025 that these meeting attendees came from various high schools in Duval County, such as Duncan U. Fletcher High School, Samuel W. Wolfson School for Advanced Studies, and Darnell-Cookman School of the Medical Arts. The efforts of these students helped prevent budget cuts for accelerated programs. Official records from the Florida House of Representatives documented that HB 5101 eventually became law, but opposition from local school districts forced the 50% funding cut for accelerated courses to be removed from the bill.
In addition to advocating at local government meetings, students also participate in walkouts and protests. Defending Education, a national organization working to restore schools from activists imposing harmful agendas, reported on March 9, 2026 that there have been 402 walkouts and protests at K-12 schools across the United States in 2026 alone—a significant increase from 59 in 2025. Some Stanton students, such as senior Layah Ayoub, have participated in protests regarding worldwide political issues.
“I advocate for the Palestinian people because not a lot of people are aware of the atrocities in [Palestine],” Ayoub said. “I attended protests in the local area, and I wish there were more ways to support them.”
Recently, numerous walkouts across the nation against the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been organized by students. According to USA Today, after the passing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis in January 2026, thousands of middle and high school students throughout the United States have protested against the actions of ICE due to of violence from its agents. As a result, Stanton students planned a walkout during the school day to protest against ICE. According to Stanton administrators, the walkout was cancelled because the State of Florida discouraged such protests at schools. Students expressed different opinions on the cancellation.
“[Protesting] should be within the school’s policies because we have the freedom of speech, but we should do so in a manner that does not violate any of the other principles we have,” sophomore Alex Briones said. “We [should not] skip class or break public property.”
While some students focused on on-campus activism, others have turned to digital platforms to voice their opinions. According to a report by the Pew Research Center published on Dec. 14, 2024, around 48% of teenagers aged 13 to 17 have used social media to express support for causes, share news, or stay informed on political and social issues. Sophomore Yas Vadlapatla is a member of Mental Health Collective, an organization founded in November 2025 that uses social media to spread mental health awareness.
“Mental Health Collective gives everyone a place to learn more about mental health and how to have conversations about it,” Vadlapatla said. “Through our social media, we also [promoted] a podcast where we discussed topics like anxiety and stress, and shared ways to get mental health support.
Organizations similar to Mental Health Collective are representative of how student activists advocate for mental well-being at schools. Mental health is a growing concern among adolescents. A 2023 survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that more than 40% of United States high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in recent years. By advocating for more mental health resources, student activists can help their peers feel supported and willing to seek professional help. A 2023 report from The Jed Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention and emotion health protection, indicated early interventions such as peer support networks are decreasing suicide mortality among teens.
“A lot of my friends are a part of social media nonprofits to help suicide prevention,” senior Tuyen Do said. “They make posts telling people that others are there to support them, and share hotlines that people can call if they need someone to talk to.”
Despite the positive aspects of student activism, students must balance community advocacy with other commitments. Research from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University highlights time constraints and academic workloads as the two main barriers preventing young people from civic participation. For Stanton students, balancing rigorous coursework with consistent activism efforts can be difficult.
“You can start off with a strong idea of what to support, but because of the workload at Stanton you can fade away from that idea and not make it as [impactful] as planned,” freshman Anvika Gupta said.
Alongside balancing their academic workload with activism, another concern facing student advocacy is performative activism. According to an article published in Philosophy and Rhetoric, a journal published by Penn State University Press, performative activism is the superficial support for social causes unsupported by real-world actions. Stanton students often encounter performative activism on social media through student-made organizations and nonprofits.
“A lot of students make social media nonprofits for college [applications] ... they see it as low hanging fruit to boost [their] applications,” senior Ezra Ekwueme said. “Instead of making these nonprofits, [students] should follow their passion by joining a competition or an existing nonprofit.”
Despite the prevalence of performative activism, some student leaders at Stanton are determined to move past spreading awareness and instead drive tangible impact. By making an effort towards organized community outreach, these students demonstrate how youth advocacy can extend beyond online influence. Junior Harrison Warren, an officer for the Geography Club, helps teach students the basics of international relations by taking a hands-on approach to advocacy.
“[The Geography Club] travels to elementary schools and gives presentations to [elementary schoolers] about social injustice, how to communicate with others, and how to become better people in the world overall,” Warren said.
From historical protests to digital movements and legislative advocacy, students continue to show how youth voices carry meaningful weight in society. While student activists still face obstacles, many of them have a genuine commitment to driving real-world change. For these students, activism is not just a high school phase, but the foundation for lifelong engagement in shaping the world around them.