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.
Scroll to watch the full workshop recording and see photos from the event:
Watch the full 2025 Fall Leadership Workshop (Click to watch, 1:31:03)