In 2022, student agency as a school improvement effort was introduced to 120 educational leaders during a summer convening in central Ohio at the Columbus zoo African Savannah event space. From that moment, and with the generous support of the Jennings Foundation, a statewide capacity-building grant was born, aimed at shifting students from passive participants to active decision-makers in their own education.

Since then, the grant reach has grown year over year. The first cohort (2022–23) included Columbus, Granville, Westerville, and Belpre school districts. They were joined by Upper Arlington, Warren Local, and Olentangy in the second year, and most recently, Johnstown-Monroe, United Local, Bexley, and New Albany joined the fold. Each of these districts is digging into what it means to give students real decision-making ownership over their learning—and what happens when we do.

On May 7, all participating districts will gather at Warren Local High School in Vincent, Ohio (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.)  to reflect on what’s working, what’s hard, and where this movement goes next. With student agency gaining national attention—especially following the release of The Disengaged Teen in January—other education stakeholders and districts curious about this work are warmly invited to attend. Lunch and materials will be provided, and we’ve got the space for a big crowd. Already, five new districts have signed up to explore joining the grant experience for the 2025–26 school year.

At its core, student agency is about giving students more decision-making control to shape their learning journeys. Today’s students are too often placed in passive roles, with key decisions made for them rather than with them. This dynamic is hurting their motivation, mental health, and connection to school. The Jennings-supported cohort model flips that script.

For the capacity building grant project, each participating district sends a team of 10 leaders— classroom, building, and district level leaders —for a series of immersive experiences across the school year (either six half-days or three full days). These teams engage in rich professional learning, support student focus groups (led by adults or students themselves), and use those insights to inform district and school plans for making learning more meaningful. A standout feature of the grant experience? Expert facilitators flown in from across the U.S.—from Oregon to Georgia, from California to New York—to bring real-world stories and strategies to inspire and support this work.

Districts are welcome to stay in the cohort as long as it remains valuable to their journey. Since the beginning, nine out of ten districts have stayed in the grant —testament to the momentum and meaning this work is generating across Ohio.