On Friday, April 5, students from across the CAST Network met at the DoSeum for Cast Schools’ 4th annual Youth Rally! This event was entirely produced by the CAST Schools Student Advisory, a group of 30 students who have worked for months to design and create a day-long rally filled with workshops and experiences to help students find and elevate their voice plus plan for the future. The event is created by students for students.
This year’s theme, Dream Into the Future, included workshops such as Decompress, Bye, Bye Stress, Growth Mindset, The Power of Planning, Paint Your Passions in the Dark, and more. Students had plenty of options to choose from, and the rally even had guest speakers Lorenzo Gomez and Beto Altamirano connecting with the youth as well. I had the opportunity to speak to members of the Student Advisory about their respective workshops; these are their stories:
This is Ethan and Yliana. Both students at CAST Tech, they are also members of the CAST Student Advisory, and their workshop for this year’s Youth Rally was Growth Mindset, where they helped students nurture and care for their own succulent plants. You may recognize Yliana as one of the founding members of the award-winning student newspaper, CAST Ink.
Aliana, a student at the Advanced Learning Academy, also had her own workshop. Read, Write, Reflect had students writing small letters to themselves in the future, while also reflecting on their past and present situations. After writing, the students would share as much of their answers as they were comfortable with.
CAST Schools’ 2024 Youth Rally was an incredible success. Student Advisory members got hands-on experience organizing a large event, including all the logistics and details, and developed leadership/project management skills that will prepare them for college, career, and life. The event was made possible by the support of sponsors: CPS Energy, H-E-B, Charles Butt Foundation, H. E. Butt Foundation, Accenture, San Antonio River Authority, City of San Antonio, City of San Antonio Department of Human Services, Holt Group, Firstmark Credit Union, Broadway Bank, Edwards Aquifer Authority, and Port San Antonio.
ABOUT THE CAST Schools Network
CAST Schools | The Centers for Applied Science & Technology (CAST) is a San Antonio-based network of tuition-free public schools with a mission to reinvent schooling in order to maximize opportunities for students while preparing them for college AND careers. Open to all Bexar County students. The network includes high schools CAST Tech, CAST Teach, CAST STEM, CAST Med, CAST Lead, CAST Imagine Middle School, and the Advanced Learning Academy. Schools are co-created with industry and partner with area public school districts, including Northside, San Antonio, Southwest, and East Central ISDs. For more information, visit castschools.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
