As the school year wound down, rising seniors Jeremiah, Zakirah, and Denim stepped out of the classroom and into the offices of the DC Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB). Through the Cesar Chavez PCS Fellowship Program, these three scholars spent two and a half weeks immersed in our External Affairs Department, gaining hands-on experience in communications, partnerships, community engagement, policy, and more.
The Chavez Fellowship Program prepares scholars to become civic leaders by placing them in short-term internships across federal agencies, think tanks, and local nonprofits. During their time with DC PCSB, the scholars built career skills by drafting professional bios, learning how to make resumes, and shadowing staff members to see how each of their roles works to ensure DC public charter schools are places where scholars excel.
The highlight of their fellowship came on their final day, when the students pitched their own ideas for changes in education:
- Zakirah proposed an incentive-based system linking school phone privileges to academic standing and rewarding strong classroom performance with increased privileges.
- Jeremiah advocated introducing trade clubs for younger students, emphasizing the value of early educational choice and exposure to different career paths.
By opening office doors to local students, programs like the Chavez Fellowship do more than teach professional skills; they ensure the next generation of DC leaders has a direct voice in shaping the future of education.