The Youth Roundtable was created in 1993 and is based on Syracuse University's long-running Thursday Morning Roundtable . The Youth Roundtable is a cooperative venture between Syracuse University Continuing Education and the Syracuse City School District. Program Youth Roundtable members meet bimonthly during the school year to learn about and discuss community issues. The students hear from guest speakers, hold group discussions, and work on projects relating to school or community life. Members Students in grades 7 through 10 are selected to participate in the Youth Roundtable by their schools.
Selection is based upon the students' leadership potential and commitment to learning.
Students represent a cross-section of their school populations. Approximately 85 students participate each year. Students remain in the program for up to four years, through completion of tenth grade. The Youth Roundtable will generate their own ideas, then survey students in their home schools to get ideas about what they think is important in a school and to what degree their school has those qualities. Roundtable members will then study the results of their surveys, analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the individual schools, and develop action plans to make each school truly effective, in the eyes of the students.