Orchestrating Effective Change: How Youth Organizing Influences Education Policy

Although research demonstrating the effectiveness of youth organizing for educational reform has expanded rapidly in the last two decades, the field remains substantially undertheorized. This article outlines a theoretical framework, based on 30 interviews with leading figures in education reform, that illuminates how a youth organizing group has achieved significant influence in the Philadelphia School District. The framework identifies three broad dimensions of effective youth organizing work and highlights 11 sets of paired strategies that have been useful in building the group’s power and efficacy. The framework showcases the complexity and artistry of sustained, successful youth organizing.