Students at Episcopal School of Jacksonville are blessed to be able to experience a high-quality education, however, Duval County public school students face some difficulties that we wouldn’t be able to understand. The organization, Young Leaders of Today, gave public and private school students alike a platform to express their concerns at their first State Of The Youth Town Hall.

The Town Hall took place at Florida State College at Jacksonville’s (FSCJ’s) downtown campus Monday night, and people such as Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene were in the audience along, with several other elected officials. The Town Hall was put on by Congressman Al Lawson and his team who support organizations like the Young Leaders Of Today.

The purpose of  the event was “to allow for local students from across the city to come together to discuss their opinions on mental health, violence, quality of education, and other student concerns to give the city of Jacksonville the opportunity to better understand the ‘state of the youth’”.

After welcoming statements from Congressman Lawson’s office and Superintendent Greene, the discussion between a panel of students began. The panel of students ranged from freshmen to seniors from the Northside to the Southside and for that reason this panel was incredibly successful and informative for the equally diverse audience. This diverse group of panelists did not hold back and openly expressed their issues with subjects such as active shooter drills and lack of mental health support.

The Young Leaders of Today are passionate about the quality of life among students in Jacksonville and are looking to do big things in this community. Follow them on Instagram @YoungLeadersOfToday in order to be informed about their upcoming events.

Image courtesy of The Talon Times Staff.