An Opportunity for Student Voice

by Noah Ortel and Zachary Tipton

after school and/or to have a parent at home after school Further, many teens have to help support the family by working and taking care of their siblings. This does not leave much time to live what many of us would consider to be a “normal” teenage high school life.

Covid has also had a great impact on their lives. Three years later, many students are still recovering and trying to return to “normal.”

Students from Beloit High School had an opportunity to present a proposal to President Mark Murphy of the Green Bay Packers They were able to voice some of their concerns as well as offer some possible solutions One of the statements made by a student at the Bridge and Build meeting was, "My family does not have enough money for me to play sports!” This issue was highlighted by teens from Beloit High School. Some kids are not able to play youth sports because they can not afford it. This was just one concern that was raised at the meeting. Students also focused on how safety affects youths and the high school experience It was a unique learning experience that some students from Wisco were privileged to attend

On November 21, 2022, President Fisher, Noah Ortel, and Zachary Tipton participated in the Youth Voice Project held at Lambeau Field They met with teens from other schools, representatives from local businesses, and Mark Murphy, President of the Green Bay Packers, to discuss how to bring about change within communities by investing money into youth programs in areas that are struggling.

The student presenters were from Beloit High School. They said that

Beloit, is not only one of the poorest places in Wisconsin, it is also considered to be one of the most dangerous places to live in the state They talked about how drugs affect many youths in the city; Beloit’s death -to- drug rate is 6% higher than the national average

In addition, a majority of the Beloit parents are working multiple jobs just so that families can survive Therefore, children often have less opportunity to be nurtured by a caring and loving figure who is there for them. This can cause individuals to be left with a lot of uncertainty in their day-to-day lives. This also affects their academics and co-curricular experiences because it is difficult to rely on someone to get a ride home

For financial reasons, some students had to drop out of school and get jobs leaving them unable to play sports and finish high school Graduating from high school is a significant step in order to start a career Not receiving a high school diploma can limit the opportunities one will have

The Beloit team’s “pitch” included how they wanted to raise money for youth sports through a partnership with the Packers and the Brewers Ultimately, their goal was to make youth sports affordable in their area, and hopefully grow the foundation to help other areas as well. The proposal was to add an extra nickel to each ticket sold for all games, which could end up generating $110,000 for the foundation. Another important note was that Microsoft would match the profits. This would double the amount (potentially generate a total of $220,000) These profits would not only go to dropping the price for youth sports, but also to help improve the safety in and around Beloit The profits would help remodel buildings and create a safer area for the youth and the community around them This could lead to better opportunities for teens

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