Students at the student summit smile up at the camera

In December, more than 60 students in grades 9-12 gathered in a Springfield conference center for the first-ever, student-facilitated Holyoke High School Student Summit.

This event, put on in partnership with The Barr Foundation and The Learning Agenda over multiple sessions both off-site and at HHS North, was designed to elevate student voices around a central topic: Belonging. Although many staff members worked in partnership to make the event possible, it was students who led the discussions and sparked new ideas for making HHS North a place where everyone belongs.

“At the end of last school year, we had a smaller version of a student and family summit,” said HHS North principal Lori McKenna. “What we heard that day was helpful, and we knew we would have to repeat the event on a bigger scale to learn as much as we can. When we saw that this kind of event was possible through our partnership with the Barr Foundation, we got on it right away.”

Students selected to participate in the summit come from a variety of backgrounds, including students across the academic spectrum, students who primarily speak either Spanish or English at home, student athletes, representatives from all three learning academies, students with excellent attendance and students whose attendance needs improvement.  This selection process was aligned with our equity commitment to seek out and incorporate the voices of those impacted, with a commitment to include those who have been excluded in the past

The kick-off event session took place off-site at Monarch Place in Springfield, a regional event and conference center that provided a professional setting to help set the tone for the day—and made students feel the value and importance of their discussions, Principal McKenna said. 

Of the 66 students who participated, 23 were trained in discussion moderation over the course of four sessions. These discussion leaders ranged from freshman to seniors. Training students to moderate and facilitate the workshops themselves meant the on-site staff could observe and listen, allowing student voices to be the most important in the room.

For the first set of workshops, students split into small break-out groups with moderators leading discussions around core topics: Classroom engagement, grading and assessments, and school supports. Participation was robust, with every student offered opportunities to speak on each discussion question. 

The second set of workshops, which took place a few weeks later at HHS North, further developed the ideas and issues initially raised during the Springfield event into actionable steps for students and staff to implement going forward. 

“I’m so impressed,” said Dean of Management and Operations Lynn Bechard. “The conversations these students are having are thoughtful and professional.”

Following the workshops, administrative staff at HHS North gathered the discussion notes, feedback, and ideas generated during the student summit, They then presented key takeaways to the entire staff during professional development sessions on January 3 as part of the mid-year “reset” that HHS North—and all other district schools—are implementing for 2025. 

The biggest takeaway?

“Belonging is essential to academic success,” said Principal McKenna. “Ensuring that students feel they belong at North is essential to improving attendance rates, academic performance, and post-graduation outcomes.”