SCOE’s Youth Engagement Fellowship offers young adults a meaningful opportunity to contribute to SCOE’s work while gaining valuable professional experience. Designed to elevate youth voice, the fellowship embeds young people directly within SCOE departments, where fellows play a key role in supporting programs, practices, and decision-making processes that impact students and communities across Sacramento County.

The Youth Engagement Fellowship is a one- to two-year, paid experience open to individuals ages 18–26 who bring diverse perspectives, lived experience, and a commitment to youth advocacy. Fellows support projects within assigned SCOE departments and teams, gaining firsthand knowledge of educational systems and programs while working in collaborative team environments. Through project-based learning, leadership development, and exposure to systems-level work, fellows build critical skills to support diverse learners and communities and prepare for future careers in education, public service, and related fields.

Fellows commit up to 26 hours per week and receive ongoing mentorship and professional development throughout the program. At its core, the Youth Engagement Fellowship reflects SCOE’s commitment to shared leadership, equity, and authentic youth engagement, strengthening both the professional growth of fellows and the county’s ability to design responsive, youth-informed policies and practices.

The Youth Advisory Committees provide students at Elinor Lincoln Hickey Junior/Senior High School and Nathaniel S. Colley Junior/Senior High School with a structured space to share their perspectives and engage in meaningful discussions about their school communities. The committees meet weekly to identify and discuss campus-related issues, explore areas for improvement, and develop approaches to advocate for positive change.

The advisory committees elevate youth voice by intentionally centering student experiences and creating opportunities for open dialogue. Participants connect with school staff and administration to share concerns, provide feedback, and collaborate on potential solutions. Through this process, students build important civic engagement skills such as communication, collaboration, and leadership, while gaining experience in advocacy and community involvement.

SCOE’s leadership initiatives advance equity and strengthen student engagement and well-being by putting young people at the center of decision-making. The Youth Advisory Council provides opportunities for students to learn about the functions of government, develop leadership and civic engagement skills, understand the value and impact of their perspectives, and learn how to effect positive change within their communities.

Through collaboration with local school districts, SCOE appoints representative youth to serve on the Council. SCOE convenes these students on a monthly basis. The Council serves as a forum in which students represent their peers by sharing ideas, concerns, and insights directly with SCOE leadership, while also engaging in dialogue and civic action alongside fellow students from diverse backgrounds.

Students provide a youth-centered perspective on critical issues that impact their communities. They collaborate with peers and professionals, build networks that support constructive engagement, and develop strategies to influence change. As part of the experience, participants complete and showcase a civic engagement project that reflects their learning. Eligible students may also earn the State Seal of Civic Engagement.