MCKEESPORT, Pa. — More than two dozen school districts gathered at Penn State Greater Allegheny on Friday for a social experience bringing students together to talk about topics that would usually drive them apart.
It was a student-led summit five years in the making.
“They are going to be the change, they are going to be the shift and to give them that platform means everything to me,” said Erin Wall, a Woodland Hills teacher and Summit creator.
A safe space to just be a teenager is what Woodland Hill’s teacher Erin Wall set out to create when she began the student summit five years ago, following the shooting death of former student Antwon Rose.
“They get to collaborate, they get to focus on social and emotional learning and topics that are very important for them,” Wall said.
What began as a district initiative in 2020 now includes 17 school districts from five counties addressing the tough stuff like gun violence, police relations, mental health, race, and more.
“I wanted to make sure like the person that he was included, I want people to know my friend was a good person,” said Anthony Crews.
Anthony Crews and Alonzo Wade from Belle Vernon High School were friends with Amari Altomore, a 16-year-old Monessen student, killed last year.
“Guns are the reason he is not here with us,” said Alonzo Wade.
According to the CDC gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in the U.S.
The teens wanted to lead the session on gun violence because the cause is personal, and they want to be the change.
“Mental health is a big part of gun violence,” Wade said.
Student leaders Aubrie Moon and Avery Blum led the sessions on mental health.
“Mental health is incredibly important if you don’t understand how to cope with different things then you aren’t going to get very far,” said Avery Blum, a senior at Springdale.
The group also helped coordinate a resource fair connecting their peers with tools and professionals.
“I think having a safe space in your school can be very important,” said Aubrie Moon, a sophomore at Woodland Hills High School,” said Aubrie Moon, a sophomore at Woodland Hills.
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