The Loudest Voice That Matters: Why Our Students Shape Our Vision
There are questions our team ask students over and over again, that maybe adults never think to ask. Questions like, “What do adults misunderstand about your neighborhood and you?”
Then we do the hardest part. We listen.
At Elevate, capturing student voice isn’t a one-time event. It’s how we work.
Twice a year, our students sit down one-on-one with their Teacher-Mentors for a Student Growth Assessment. They talk honestly about how they’re doing, where they’re headed, and whether their path is getting them there.
Last school year, 74% of our high school students completed at least one. We review what students share every quarter and adjust our programs based on it.
And for many years, we invited an independent researcher to sit down with our students, alumni, and families and ask them directly what’s working at Elevate and what isn’t.
Some of the most important listening happens outside of any formal process, though.
Earlier this month, I took a few of our Elevate young men from Arsenal Tech to Citizen 7, a leadership organization designed to connect faith-driven men as they build friendships and serve the community. It’s moments like these that keep me grounded in their reality and out of the nonprofit professional echo chamber.
It’s easy to sit in meetings and talk about young people. It’s a whole different thing to sit with them and actually hear them.
When we asked students and alumni for feedback most recently, some of what came back made me proud.
Students talked about the college trips, the scholarship opportunities, and the daily encouragement from their Teacher-Mentors. Alumni said we taught them how to be adults, gave them mentors who believed in them and helped them land scholarships, and sometimes just showed up with food when that’s what they needed most.
But real listening means hearing the hard parts too.
When a student shares about their suicidal ideations, we listen.
When they share time and time again about lack of home stability, having to move yet again, we listen knowing that the Indianapolis “housing crisis” isn’t a broken system; it’s a desperate student.
When many of our Latine students weep in fear to our staff about whether or not a loved one will be home when they get there, we listen.
Students also told us they want clearer explanations of degree requirements and how college majors work — someone to walk with them step-by-step through FAFSA and scholarship applications, not just tell them to apply.
And, across the board, they asked for more internship opportunities.
If we’re going to walk alongside these students for the long haul, we have to be willing to hear it all. And when students see their ideas show up in real decisions, they start to believe their voice carries weight.
A young person who believes that is a young person who will lead.
That’s exactly why student voice will be front and center at our 10th Annual Vision Breakfast.
The best part of that morning has never been anything I say from the stage. It’s hearing directly from our students. This year, you’ll have the chance to get to know many of our seniors in the Class of 2027, hear their goals for the future in their own words, and see firsthand the impact you can be part of.
We’ll also share our vision for Elevate’s next decade, a vision our students helped write.
10th Annual Vision Breakfast
Thursday, October 29 | 7:30–9:00 AM
Englewood Christian Church, 57 North Rural Street
Thank you for listening alongside us. No one gets there alone.
Serving with you,
Aaron Story
CEO & President, Elevate Indianapolis
