On June 9, the Newark Trust for Education hosted "Speaking Up and Talkin' Back: Newark Students Sound Off on Education," a unique theatrical showcase at Rutgers-Newark. There, students from our High School Policy Advisory Group took to the stage to share their stories and sound off on their education. The event featured student-led monologues and original performances.

Featured students included Alliyah Barnes, Bard High School Early College; Adewumi Aderbigbe, West Side High School; Amer Aliamer, People's Prep Charter School; Shasa Genas, West Side High School, and Dennis Rodriguez, Newark Leadership Academy.

As local student ambassadors, the Newark Trust's High School Policy Advisory Group is a phenomenal youth group that serves as a link between students and policy-makers and as a resource for high school students to have their voices heard.

Over the past year, members worked together to discuss the current state of education and identify innovative new solutions that can help unlock students' potential to succeed.

Watch the highlights from the event here: