Law student volunteers will interview greater Austin elementary school students and their parents regarding students’ experiences with school district discipline systems. The interview process includes documenting the students’ narratives and administering a written survey. In addition, volunteers will connect with students and their families by distributing educational materials, taking photos, and encouraging people to sign postcards and petitions. The goal of this project is to document students’ experiences with school discipline systems in order to better understand and remedy the reality of the school to prison pipeline. Texas Appleseed will use the collected information to develop advocacy and litigation strategies to combat the over-criminalization of minority youth.
Organization
Texas Appleseed
Texas Appleseed is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works for justice for underrepresented Texans. Texas Appleseed’s School to Prison Pipeline Project is working to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline and keep children in school and on track to graduate.
Project Details
- Website
- http://www.texasappleseed.org
- Project Date
Saturday, October 22
- Project Time
- 9:30am-3pm
- Approximate hours of work requested
- 4.25-7 hours, including training session; students may sign up to work 9:30am-12:15pm, 12:15pm-3pm, or 9:30am-3pm
- Training
- A 1.5 hour training will be held Thursday, October 13, 5pm-6:30pm (TNH 2.138)
- Skills used
- Client communication/interviewing; community education
- Project location
- Reagan High School, 7104 Berkman Drive
- Number of student volunteers requested
- 8
- Class year preference
- 1L, 2L, 3L, LLM
- Required skills
- Experience working with kids a plus but not required
- To Apply
- Submit email stating interest to Sarah Sedgwick at ssedgwick@law.utexas.edu; students who are members of Texas Law minority affinity groups (TMLS, CHLSA, etc.) are encouraged to apply