Leading Through Listening: Student & Community Voices in Sonoma County
In January 2021, YouthTruth administered surveys across 56 schools from 10 Sonoma County school districts. The effort resulted in hearing from nearly 30,000 student, parent and guardian, and school staff community members on topics like, academic challenge, school culture, emotional and mental health.
Key themes emerged from the findings that speak to student, parent and guardian, and school staff members’ experiences of relationships, belonging, emotional and mental health, distance learning, housing needs, and the impacts of local environmental disasters.
In a public webinar in April 2021 leaders from youth-focused community organizations explored the data behind these themes, viewed through an equity lens with a special focus on the effects of local environmental disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic on community well-being.