There was a move to ban all backpacks because administrators claimed it was overcrowding. They wanted students to carry their books and keep them in the lockers. She said young people shouldn't get discouraged just because they're young or just because they're not in a position to get their voice out. I sense that because young people are put down so much by adults that there's a hesitancy. When you come forward, you normally will not have an impact the first time.
Persistence is key.
A lot of it, too, is a supportive adult who is helping to open doors and make connections. A lot of students will publicize what they're trying to do in their school newspaper. They need to get it out to a broader audience. Lesko talked about one teen in Missouri who put a blurb in the weekly community newspaper about turning an old theater into a teen center. She made the point that you can't worry about getting blown off if you haven't tried yet.