Mobilizing students for the future

Johnnie Ellison

by Julie Fanselow

September 26, 2005 | Focus on Study Circles, Vol.16, No.2 | Austin, Texas

 

Johnnie Ellison stands in front of a mural
of the Texas flag and the griffin school
mascot at Garza High School, home of the Youth Mobilizers.

Since its start in 2003, Austin Voices for Education and Youth has been pursuing its vision of creating schools and neighborhoods where young people can “learn, connect, work, lead, and thrive.” One way it does this is by hiring high school students as Youth Mobilizers, a small but mighty corps of students who are becoming catalysts for more effective communication and action among school officials, students, and the whole community.

Johnnie Ellison is a key member of the team. After leaving school to have her two children, Johnnie enrolled at Garza High, where the Youth Mobilizers are based. In spring 2004, enticed by the opportunity to earn volunteer credit toward graduation, Ellison took part in “Community Conversations about Education”—study circles organized by Austin Voices and the Youth Mobilizers. Free child care for her sons made it possible for her to attend. But Ellison says she stayed with it because she found her views were taken seriously. “I was so amazed they wanted youth input,” she recalls.

Soon after, Ellison joined the Youth Mobilizers and began her own activist career. “Johnnie is a risk-taker and willing to take chances, even in situations that are completely new to her,” says Amy Averett, Austin Voices’ executive director. “She is willing to get outside her comfort zone to take on new experiences and challenges.”

For example, Ellison and the other mobilizers helped the Austin Independent School District turn out the vote for its largest-ever bond issue. Using a balanced, four-page informational fact sheet, the team publicized the election throughout the community—distributing leaflets at schools and in neighborhoods, and making the most of the media, including a student-produced public service announcement aimed at encouraging older students to register and vote. The $519 million measure passed in September 2004.

The Youth Mobilizers are now working on an initiative called “Ready By 21” for which they created, distributed, and tabulated a survey of more than 400 youth to identify and fill gaps in current community resources for youth. And recently, the school district invited Austin Voices and the Youth Mobilizers to help coordinate two one-session conversations about the district’s plans to redesign high schools so they work better for all students. No matter what the project, “the idea is to empower youth who are equipped to make the future a better place,” says Austin Voices community organizer Tim Eubanks.

Like all the Mobilizers, Ellison earned both school credit and a stipend for her work, and she has the option of saving some of her earnings in a college account that is matched two-to-one by Austin Voices. At graduation, Ellison was honored with the “Spirit of Garza” award for the Class of 2005. She’s now attending Austin Community College and would like to be a restaurant critic.

Of course, she also spends plenty of time being Mom to sons Jamor, 2, and Jaylynn, 1; in that role, she’ll continue to draw on her experiences as a mobilizer. “When they start going to school, I will be able to be a more involved parent—to know where to go and who to talk with to make things better,” Ellison says.

Austin's study circle program at a glance:

City and state: Austin, Texas
Population: More than 680,000
Focus of study circles: Education
Number of study circle participants to date: More than 80

Read more in our fall 2005 special issue of Focus

Learn more: Education  | Youth Issues