Amy Morrin Bello

Have you heard about the Voice4Change initiative? It gives students a say in how money is spent to improve their schools.

The Connecticut Department of Education (CSDE) is investing more than $1.5 million in high school students across the state to encourage them to get involved, be heard, and make change. A first-of-its-kind statewide civic engagement initiative, Voice4Change empowers high school students to propose and vote on how more than $1.5 million in federal relief funds will be invested to reimagine Connecticut’s schools. Students in participating districts, will submit proposals to the CSDE outlining how they would spend $20,000 in their school and Wethersfield is one of the participating districts! Proposals deemed eligible to receive ARP ESSER funds will ultimately be voted on by their high school peers on March 11, 2022—one year after the historic American Rescue Plan Act was passed.

Thanks to Governor Ned Lamont for launching this first-in-the-nation program. Learn more at https://portal.ct.gov/Voice4Change/V4C/Voice4Change-Program.