More than 200 student leaders from across Atlanta Public Schools gathered downtown last week to share ideas, strengthen leadership skills, and discuss how young people can help shape their communities.
Mayor Andre Dickens joined the APS Student Leader Symposium at Georgia State University’s Student Center East on February 27, a districtwide event designed to elevate student voice and leadership across Atlanta schools.
The symposium brought together students, educators, and community partners to ensure young people are not just participants in conversations about the future of the city, but partners in shaping it.
Centering student voices
During his remarks, Mayor Dickens applauded organizers for intentionally designing the symposium with students at the center.
“One of the best things about this event is that it wasn’t created for you — it was created with you,” the Mayor told students. “You are partners, co-designers, and decision-makers, and that matters.”
The event featured student leaders from across the district, including Drew Charter School senior Laila Shannon, who introduced the Mayor during the program.
Shannon, who plans to attend Vanderbilt University to study environmental engineering, represents the next generation of Atlanta leaders already thinking about how they can help address challenges facing communities and the environment.
Investing in Atlanta’s youth
Mayor Dickens also highlighted the city’s continued focus on supporting young people through initiatives like Year of the Youth, which placed youth opportunity and engagement at the center of city policy.
“When I became Mayor, one of my earliest commitments was to Atlanta’s young people,” Dickens said. “Every year in Atlanta must be a year when young people are supported as they lead, create, and redefine what is possible.”
The Mayor connected that commitment to the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative, which focuses on strengthening neighborhoods through infrastructure improvements, housing investments, and revitalization of community corridors.
According to the Mayor, those investments directly affect the environment where young people learn and grow.
“Stable housing, safer streets, and stronger schools help create the conditions where students can thrive and imagine bigger futures for themselves,” he said.
A call to the next generation of leaders
The symposium emphasized the importance of youth leadership and civic engagement, encouraging students to continue raising questions, sharing ideas, and challenging leaders to improve their communities.
Mayor Dickens closed his remarks by reminding students that Atlanta’s future depends on their continued involvement.
“This is your city,” Dickens told the students. “We are counting on your insight, your creativity, and your vision to help create the future we all imagine.”
