Students at St. Genevieve Parish Schools in Panorama City are stepping up, speaking out, and aiming high, launching a creative campaign with one clear goal: convince Governor Newsom to OPT IN to Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC) funding.
View SGPS’s video for Governor Newsom
Twenty-eight high school students are enrolled in a Leadership and Advocacy course and earning three college credits through Seton Hill University (Pennsylvania). As part of the course, students are leading a comprehensive advocacy campaign supporting FSTC, gaining firsthand experience in leadership, civic engagement, and public policy advocacy.
Advocacy and Outreach Efforts
Students have actively collaborated and networked with key stakeholders, including:
- California Catholic Conference
- Superintendent of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
- Catholic School Principals in the San Fernando Region of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
- Democrats for Education Reform
- The Basic Fund
- Various Foundation Leaders
- Leaders of School Choice in other states
Their outreach and education efforts include:
- Educating the St. Genevieve school community and Catholic schools throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles about FSTC
- Presenting to over 40 Catholic school principals in the San Fernando Region
- Participating in webinars with Invest in Ed
- Educating 1,122 students and their families across St. Genevieve Parish Schools
- Organizing a Christmas Card campaign in which 540 elementary students sent cards to Governor Newsom, asking him to support FSTC
- Planning a Purple Postcard Campaign to send 12,000 postcards to Governor Newsom on Cesar Chavez Day, urging California to opt into FSTC
Watch students create a Christmas card campaign for Gov. Newsom (English/Spanish).
In addition, Emma Jugao (11th grade) submitted an article about the class and its advocacy work to the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). The article will be published in the Spring edition of Momentum magazine.
This initiative represents a true grassroots effort, grounded in Catholic Social Teaching, and demonstrates the power of the student voice in public advocacy.