Last year, Desert Mountain Elementary (DME) students in the Lead Out Loud (LOL) Club voted to use their participatory budget on a unique project for their school and students. Students put forth the idea, presented it, and voted on a book vending machine for their campus. Participatory budgeting teaches students civic responsibility and how to think outside of themselves.
DME Principal Amber Allen explains the process, stating that “the cool thing about the student participatory budgeting process is that our students came up with all the ideas for all the rest of our Coyotes to vote on, and then the students ultimately decide.”
The Lead out Loud Club lets students have an active voice in their school, while seeing the direct impact of their votes. Principal Allen continues, “What’s awesome about the student participatory budgeting process is our students get to use their voice to decide how to make our school even better.”
By bringing a book vending machine to DME, students got to exercise civic duty and install an exciting new reward system. Students earn “Paw Points” for showing the three core values of DME: “being kind, respectful, and showing integrity.” Paw points can then be redeemed for a token that can be used for the book vending machine.
Reading is an essential foundation of a well-rounded education, and DME students are making sure that reading is a delight and that voices are heard.