STFers met with a representative from the Los Angeles Mayor's Office to advocate for ending the criminalization of unhoused people and advancing affordable housing solutions in their community. Photos by Jonmathew C.

June 9, 2026, Written by Jonmathew C., 2025 STF alumnus from Animo Venice Charter HS:

Current and former STFers from Animo Venice, Harvard Westlake and Hamilton high schools met with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' West LA Area Representative, Jennifer Hull, to deliver 295 petition signatures demanding an end to the criminalization of unhoused people in Los Angeles.

STFers urged the Mayor's office to oppose any expansion of LA Municipal Code 41.18, a city ordinance that bans sitting, lying, or sleeping in designated public areas and has been used to sweep encampments without connecting people to permanent housing, and to push back against California Governor Newsom's pressure on cities to pass new anti-camping ordinances. STFers also called on Mayor Bass to support the Venice Dell Project, a 140-unit affordable housing development on city-owned land in Venice that faces opposition from local neighbors and District 11 Councilmember Traci Park.

Ms. Hull acknowledged that Mayor Bass could apply pressure to Councilmember Park on the Venice Dell Project, but recommended that STF meet with Councilmember Park to show that constituents in her district support this project, so she does not only hear from those who are against it.

"Ms. Hull seemed open and understanding of the points we brought up. She said she would forward our suggestions to Mayor Bass and get back to us about who else we could speak to and how we could better advocate for this issue. This was my first time doing something like this and I am very grateful for the opportunity. I gained valuable experience and learned a lot about how to approach these kinds of meetings going forward," shared Jade P. from Hamilton HS.

STFers and alumni in Los Angeles will continue their advocacy and outreach to city leadership demanding an end to the criminalization of homelessness and pushing for permanent housing solutions in Los Angeles.

Photos by Lina Grigoryan, Tigran Gasparyan and the STF Team

April 13, 2026, Written by Lily A. from Mira Costa HS:

Last Monday, April 13, we had the opportunity to attend the Voices for Justice Dinner with Human Rights Watch in Los Angeles. As members of the Student Task Force, it meant so much to be part of an evening centered on justice, advocacy, and meaningful change—and to share that space with so many likeminded people.

One of the most impactful parts of the night was when STFers and supporters heard from HRW researchers Trey Walk and Angelica Sedgwick Oun. Their work highlights the real and urgent challenges facing communities today, from protecting voting rights and strengthening democracy to defending the rights of immigrant communities. We also had the chance to speak with dinner guests about our own on-campus advocacy and the changes we're trying to make within our school communities.

As students, having the opportunity not only to listen but also to engage—sharing our own causes and perspectives with guests—was incredibly meaningful. It reinforced that advocacy doesn’t have to wait, and that young people have an important role to play in shaping a more just future.

Conversations throughout the evening showed how powerful it is when different generations come together around a shared commitment to human rights. We left feeling inspired, challenged, and motivated to continue this work.

It truly meant a lot to connect with each other, hear our unique perspectives, and be part of such thoughtful conversations. Your presence helped make the evening as impactful as it was.

STFers meet with HRW's Yasemin Smallens to discuss LGBT rights. Screenshot by Gabbi M.

April 6, 2026: STFers met with Yasemin Smallens, a researcher in Human Rights Watch's LGBT Rights Division, to learn about her journey into advocacy, which began in high school and has been rooted in a commitment to protecting the LGBTQ+ community.

Yasemin spoke about her most recent report, “They’re Ruining People’s Lives,” which examines the impact of bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth and their families in the United States. She reflected on the human stories behind the research and the broader implications for rights and access.

STFers asked pressing questions including:

• "What steps are important for people who might not be so familiar with the experience to help create a safer environment for trans youth?"
• "Can you speak more about transgender youth that are unhoused?"
• “Is there an intersection between religion and existing laws against transgender youth?”

When asked what message should students take away from this discussion, Yasemin said, "Young people have all the power...We have a generation of people that have a more nuanced, inclusive, expansive understanding of gender and they can’t take that away. Hold onto that ground and continue expanding that base of support."

Students from New Roads School engage with STFers at interactive tents focused on human rights, advocacy, and shaping their school’s Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights (SBRR). Photo by New Roads STFers

Editor's Note: This piece was written by Anjali J., STF Communications Officer of the New Roads School Chapter.

March 3, 2026: STFers from New Roads School hosted a tent event to raise awareness about their Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights (SBRR), which they are currently developing. The event featured four tents, each focused on a different aspect of human rights and engagement.

The first tent highlighted what human rights look like globally and on their own campus. The second provided information about the SBRR and why student feedback and participation are essential to making it meaningful and effective. At the third tent, students began engaging directly in the process by responding to questions and posting sticky notes about human rights on campus and their own experiences. Finally, the fourth tent featured a trivia activity to test what students had learned during the event and a chance to win sweet treats!

The ultimate goal of the event was to encourage more students to complete the Taking the Temperature survey so the chapter can begin drafting their SBRR with guidance and feedback from the school community. The event was a huge success: within just a few days, the chapter had already received 70 responses!

Editor's Note: This piece was written by Geneva H., STF founder and president of the Mira Costa HS Chapter.

Axel K., a current STF President at Spring Lake Park HS, was super into policy and human rights when word got around to him about the Human Rights Watch Student Task Force (STF). To Axel, it was an easy yes when he was offered to get involved with the organization.

Since joining, Axel and his chapter have been able to accomplish a number of feats. “I'm really proud of the progress my Chapter has made in such little time. I really love the organization,” Axel said.

When he started STF, Axel wanted to make sure that he could be an effective leader. STF has led him to make great improvements in general communication skills.

Those communication skills proved essential as STFers began implementing their Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights and encountered obstacles distributing the Taking the Temperature Survey to the entire school.

“Our school board banned the digital dissemination of student surveys through school platforms and our principal strongly discouraged asking students to take our survey during classes,” Axel shared. However, after persistent conversations with their principal, the Chapter reached a compromise to have students complete the survey during lunch periods.

Axel emphasizes that advocacy isn’t always about making an immediate impact, but creating a community of support for others to see and join. While there are more direct actions to take, such as contacting representatives, awareness itself is essential for the cause.

Personally, Axel has taken to advocacy given the local I.C.E. crackdown in Minnesota for him. Some students in his community have been too afraid to even attend classes amid recent I.C.E. crackdown. In that case, he stresses that it is extra important to show up for the classmates who can’t.

“I really want to be the person to push people to do things, especially involvement outside of school,” Axel said.

When asked what legacy Axel wants to leave behind with Spring Lake Park’s STF Chapter, Axel explained how advocacy can be approached from many levels, “...a lot of students don't realize that they do have options. There are ways to go out in your community and get involved in humanities and get involved in policy.”

To illustrate how accessible advocacy can be, Axel continues to bring new opportunities to his classmates, through STF and beyond.

STF leaders and teachers inspire and help each other overcome adversity at the 2026 Winter Leadership Workshop. Photos by Patricia Williams

February 7, 2026: The STF community came together to reflect, learn, and build momentum for the months ahead at the 2026 Winter Leadership Workshop.

Participants connected in breakout groups, shared stories, and drafted language for their SBRRs related to issues including gender-affirming practices, discipline practices, educational censorship, privacy concerns, immigration safety, environmental sustainability, and school lunches.

To help them navigate these discussions, Nicholas E. Stewart, Executive Director of the Justice Education Project (JEP), opened the workshop focusing on the power of collective action in youth-led justice work. He encouraged students to “rally other people like yourselves to get involved with justice-oriented initiatives...and have hope, know things can change, and never give up.”

Workshop attendees also heard from former STF Teacher Advisor Sandra Martin, who reminded students that their work matters and described the STF community as a beacon of hope in challenging times. She asked a simple but powerful question: Which characteristic is the best predictor of success and high achievement? Her answer was: “Grit. People with grit maintain motivation despite failure, adversity, or boredom and can manage the fear of failure…People who have grit treat failures as opportunities to learn rather than reasons to quit.”

STF Co-Founder, Nancy Nazarian Medina, closed with a powerful message: “We are in a community of people that have shared values and a belief that every person has basic human rights no matter where they come from. In human rights work, we cannot lose hope.”

Watch the full 2026 Winter Leadership Workshop (Click to watch, 1:20:15)

STFers meet with HRW's Margaret Wurth to discuss children's rights. Photo by Kristin Ghazarians

January 25, 2026: About 30 STFers met with Margaret Wurth, a senior researcher in Human Rights Watch's Children's Rights Division, to hear about her journey as a human rights advocate and how she came to focus on children's health.

Margaret spoke about her recent research on young people's access to reproductive health care and her advocacy strategy to end state laws requiring healthcare providers to notify a parent about a young person’s abortion decision that may cause harmful delays and can block access to health care.

STFers asked pressing questions including, "How have current politics impacted HRW's research?," “Has your work with HRW changed your perspective on the world?” and "What is one thing you do to keep yourself motivated during tumultuous times for human rights?".

When asked for advice on how she would encourage student advocates to safely continue their work, Margaret said, "You are all so brave being out in the streets!... Be brave but be safe. There are lots of ways to exercise your rights that aren't attending protests. An important way to break down barriers is to have heartfelt talks with those we know. There is no one way to work for human rights."

Students participate in a post-it activity sharing which rights and responsibilities matter the most to them. Photos by Kristin Ghazarians

January 9, 2026, written by Maya M. from Santa Monica HS:
This week our chapter hosted a tent event to collect input for our prospective Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights (SBRR). This event was a way to collect information on our school’s human rights temperature and overall opinions about our potential SBRR from 350 classmates.

We advertised the event to Humanities classes and underclassmen to boost recruitment. The tent event was divided into three stations: one station that educated students on human rights, highlighting key human rights achievements throughout history; another tent that introduced students to the SBRR – using Pali’s SBRR as an example – and gathered students' opinions on which rights and responsibilities matter most to them; and one final station where students took a Human Rights Temperature survey.

We are hoping that the results from this event will push us forward in our goal of successfully establishing an SBRR at Santa Monica High School through collaboration with our student body, other clubs, and our administrators.

How long have you been with STF and why did you join?

Lauren: I joined STF in Fall of 2023 because I wanted to learn more about human rights as well as help others become more educated. Before I joined, I didn't know much except that human rights were constantly being violated. Now I am learning more about human rights every week through STF.

What has your experience been like since joining? What goals and leadership skills do you hope to achieve with STF?

Lauren: My experience has been great since I joined. It's also allowed me to make new friends at school. I hope to improve my public speaking skills and to be able to get my ideas across clearly for everyone to understand. I also want to continue working on delegating tasks and facilitating meetings.

Can you explain what advocacy your Chapter is currently working on and what progress you have made this academic year?

Lauren: Our chapter is working on the Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights (SBRR) where we hope to create a SBRR that includes the issues important to students at our school. So far, we have created a "Take Your School's Temperature" survey that went out to all students. This survey included questions and statements specific to our school such as, "Diverse perspectives (e.g. gender, race/ethnicity, ideological) are represented in courses, textbooks, assemblies, libraries and classroom instruction."

What’s one thing you want future and current STF members to know?

Lauren: To not be afraid to try and talk to people, especially when you want to do an event at school. The process might be hard, but you're guided through every step of the process and there's power in even a few people, so don't be discouraged by how many people participate.

Would you recommend STF to another high schooler?

Lauren: I would definitely recommend STF to another high schooler. You learn so many skills that you can apply beyond STF and you get the chance to talk about human rights to a whole community who cares about it just as much as you do.

December 10, 2025: STFers honored Human Rights Day with events designed to educate and engage classmates across campuses at Alexander Hamilton, Browning School, Corona Del Mar, International School of Prague, New Roads School, Spring Lake Park, Wauwatosa East, and Whitney M. Young Magnet High Schools. Scroll to see photos and read about their events:

Alexander Hamilton STFers partnered with UNICEF to highlight how their clubs educate their peers on human rights and got to raise awareness about their work to develop a Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights (SBRR).

Meanwhile, STFers at the International School of Prague hung flyers around the school to commemorate the UDHR and provide educational background on its establishment and historical significance.

The flyers also explained how the UDHR continues to impact our lives today by highlighting specific human rights, such as the right to education and freedom of speech, helping to promote the implementation of a SBRR on campus.

STFers at Browning and Whitney M. Young organized a "blue out" to promote Human Rights Day. Participants dressed in blue to raise awareness about human rights and spark conversation about human rights.

STFers at Corona Del Mar and Spring Lake Park hosted all school trivia events to engage peers in discussions about human rights. Participants answered trivia questions in exchange for a spin at the wheel and candy prizes. Questions ranged from topics such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) to education on the Rwandan Genocide.

Similarly, Wauwatosa East STFers created a space for student engagement by inviting students to their final chapter meeting, where attendees learned more about human rights and the UDHR through an interactive Kahoot game.

Please meet STF Alumna Leela C., who first discovered STF while searching for meaningful avenues to engage with human rights and social justice work. Leela started as a member of the STF Team in 2022-23 and remains involved by volunteering at leadership workshops and events from New York City. Continue reading to learn more about Leela's journey in advocacy.

STF Team: What drew you to work with STF?

Leela: I was immediately drawn to STF's mission and knew I wanted to contribute to this vital work. I had long admired HRW but had no idea they housed a program specifically dedicated to youth advocacy. That alignment felt like exactly what I'd been looking for.

STF Team: What do you do now?

Leela: I'm working at the New York City Commission on Human Rights, where the connection to my STF experience is unmistakable. At STF, we emphasized the critical importance of students understanding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Now, at a city agency tasked with enforcing human rights law, I see firsthand how essential adequate funding and resources are to protecting New Yorkers' rights.

My work with STF students provided invaluable insight into the real challenges young people face today. Currently, I conduct direct community outreach, primarily with justice-impacted individuals. The listening skills and understanding I developed through engaging with STF students directly inform how I approach this work and connect with the communities we serve.

STF Team: What did your time in STF mean to you? What was the most memorable experience you had while working with STF?

Leela: On a professional level, STF was transformative. I developed essential skills like tailoring presentations for specific audiences and articulating why our work matters. The team welcomed my questions and helped me navigate unfamiliar territory, which established incredibly high standards for what a workplace should be. That experience taught me the importance of working alongside mission-aligned colleagues, something that continues to guide my career choices.

As an administrative assistant, my direct student contact was limited, which made the Leadership Workshops all the more meaningful. I vividly remember working with one particular student and witnessing his confidence grow with each interaction. Watching his transformation exemplified the profound, tangible impact STF has on young people's lives. Being part of that change and creating spaces where students feel affirmed, where they learn they're capable of taking up space and advocating powerfully for their communities remains one of the most rewarding aspects of my STF experience.

STF Team: What's one thing you want future and current STF members to know?

Leela: Recognize the immense value of staying connected to this community. STF is a space worth investing in. You can return to this community and witness the evolution of your own work and impact over time.

For high school STF members specifically: Don't underestimate what you've accomplished. The event planning, advocacy campaigns, and community organizing you're doing right now are genuinely remarkable achievements. When you transition to college, it's easy to enter new spaces and immediately compare yourself to others, but remember that your STF experience has equipped you with sophisticated skills that many of your peers won't have developed yet. The work you're doing is unique and substantial, give yourself credit for it and carry that confidence forward.

Palisades Charter HS Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights workshop, October 2015. Photo by Patricia Williams

Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states every person has a human right to education and that "education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms..." (UDHR)

The Convention on the Rights of the Child article 28 states that governments should "ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child's human dignity..." (CRC)

This year, STF Chapters are working with administrators, teachers, students and parents to develop a Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights that will help their schools become more human rights friendly. STFers will accomplish this by:

• Building coalitions on campus to ensure all aspects of the school community are represented;
• Identifying which issues are of most concern to students and educators on campus; and
• Garnering support from school decision-makers to ensure that our schools uphold the human rights of our current and future classmates long after we graduate.

Use the resources from the Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights toolkit to get started today!

STFers at the Fall Leadersip Workshop on Saturday, September 6, 2025. Photos by Patricia Williams

September 6, 2025: "If you take meaningful action for things you care about most, it all adds up, and collectively, we can make a difference," said Jo Becker, Human Rights Watch's Children's Rights Division Advocacy Director, kicking off the 2025 STF Fall Leadership Workshop.

During her presentation, Jo shared her top five resources for a human rights advocate's toolkit. "There will be times where we get discouraged or fail. But we have to pick ourselves up and get ready to go back in the next day and keep pushing," she said to emphasize the importance of perseverance and working through obstacles in advocacy. (Watch her complete speech)

With Jo's advice in mind, STFers launched their Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights (SBRR) action plan with support from Palisades Charter HS's Dr. Pam Magee, Sandra Martin and Hallie McRae. Participants brainstormed how they will work with administrators, teachers, students and parents to develop a Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights that will help their schools become more human rights friendly. They will aim to:

• Build coalitions on campus to ensure all aspects of the school community are represented;
• Identify which issues are of most concern to students and educators on campus; and
• Garner support from school decision-makers to ensure that schools uphold the human rights of their current and future classmates long after they graduate.

Watch the full 2025 Fall Leadership Workshop (Click to watch, 1:31:03)

Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Article 28: "States Parties recognize the right of the child to education... they shall, in particular: make primary education compulsory and available free to all..."

Dear STFers,
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is working to draft a new optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, enshrining an explicit right to early childhood care and education; to free public pre-primary education, beginning with at least one year; and to free public secondary education—consistent with the right to free primary education.

This spring, more than 8,100 young people around the world, including students from seven STF Chapters, responded to a request to share why they think young people should have a right to free pre-primary and free secondary education. The OHCHR released a summary of the responses received. Some of the key recommendations children made include:

• Making education truly free for all everywhere by LAW with no hidden costs like transportation, meals, materials, uniforms or exam fees;
• Spend more money on teachers and schools;
• Make schools inclusive;
• Involve children in decision-making through councils, consultations and assemblies;
• And more!

See more input from young people:

• Check out the children's view summary of recommendations
• Read the full conference room paper on children's perspectives

Thank you STFers for contributing your thoughts to this process. We will share more updates as we receive them.

Negotiations for the new free education treaty being on September 1!

Check out this video from some of the child activists involved in this process
(Click to watch, 1:41)