Mikva Challenge DC

🔔 Reminder: Join Mikva Challenge, DC Action, Black Swan Academy Youth Power & Safety Collective, MLOV DC, DC Girls Coalition, and My Brother's Keeper for the 2026 Youth Led Mayoral Candidate Forum!

This event hosted on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026 at Trinity Washington University will bring together youth from across the city to engage in democracy through activities and a panel-style discussion from the eligible candidates, Janese Lewis George, Vincent Orange, Rhonda Hamilton, Robert Gross, Muhsin Boe Umar, and Ernest Johnson, running for DC Mayor to know how they plan to address the most pressing youth concerns. Voter Registration and Ranked Choice Voting Information will be available through DC Board of Elections, Leauge of Women Voters DC & Grow Democracy DC 🗳️

Doors open at 4:30pm & the event runs from 5-7pm‼️ Community service hours and food will be available for registered attendees. Please register using the link in our bio or visit tinyurl.com/2026mayorforum

We would also like to thank our additional partners PAVE and LaJoy Johnson Law.

Join Mikva Challenge, DC State Board of Education, The Office of the Student Advocate and EdTrust at Trinity Washington University Main Hall on Wednesday, May 13th from 4:30-8:00pm for an afternoon of civic leadership and solution building curated by youth, for youth!

This event will feature a civics fair, an opportunity to create & pitch your solutions on issues impacting youth to local decision-makers, community service hours and more!

Register here: bit.ly/yclsummit26 or click the link in our bio!

DC youth this is YOUR moment 👏🏽

The Student Justice Council is bringing together students from Wards 1–5 to speak directly with State Board of Education representatives about what’s really happening in our schools.

This isn’t just another event. This is a youth-led space where your voice matters, your experiences are heard, and your ideas can turn into real change.

🗣️ Got something to say about school safety?
📚 Want better support in your school?
💡 Have ideas for solutions?

Pull up. Bring your friends. Be part of the conversation.

Event Details:
📅 Wednesday, April 8
⏰ 4:30–7:00 PM
📍 Charles Sumner Museum (1201 17th St NW, Washington, DC)

🍕 Food provided
🎓 Community service hours available
👥 Open to all 8th–12th grade students

🔗 RSVP at https://forms.gle/hXxvzc8tLMyXbFNf6!

Let’s make sure youth voices from EVERY ward are in the room 💯

This summer, we hosted our annual leadership cafe, an event for our Mikva Summer Fellows to network with civic partners, reflect on their summer experiences, and share their future career goals.

We are deeply grateful to our civic partners for showing up and engaging meaningfully with our young people, to our incredible Summer Fellows for bringing their best selves to the table, to the dedicated Mikva staff who made this event possible, and to our alumni whose ongoing support keeps this community thriving.

Mikva Challenge DC is currently accepting applications for our two unique, citywide, civic engagement high school programs: the Safety and Justice Council (SJC) and the Citywide Student Voice Council (SVC)!

These 8-month-long councils empower DC students to amplify their voices in local decision-making while earning 50+ community service hours and a stipend.

Through these programs, students will have opportunities to:
- Testify at DC City Council hearings
- Collaborate on policy and community solutions
- Engage in research through case studies, expert interviews, and youth surveys
- Network with local leaders and peers citywide

Applications for both councils are due by September 19, but are accepted on a rolling basis after that date. Please see the application links in the bio to apply!

Last week, we took the High School Advisory Council to the U.S. District Court to meet Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui! The students got to dive into the world of criminal justice and law by doing an interactive court tour based on their skills, getting to know more about different roles in the courtroom from professionals in the field and ask questions.

As always, we would like to say thank you to Judge Faruqui and his staff for consistently prioritizing young people in DC as a long-time civic partner and providing engaging experiences to our summer cohorts.

Last week’s Summer Fellows Friday was full of energy and impact! In the morning, fellows explored current events and met Erin, CEO of ChatBlackGPT, to discuss culturally responsive AI and share their ideas for improving tech.

In the afternoon, they presented powerful testimony on education issues such as school funding, data transparency, and bullying to DC State Board of Education members Brandon Best, Eboni Rose-Thompson, and Eric Goulet.

Huge thanks to Erin for uplifting youth voices in tech and to the Board members for engaging with our fellows this summer!

Our two dynamic citywide youth councils, the Student Voice Council (SVC) and the Safety and Justice Council (SJC), have officially wrapped up an impactful 2024–2025 school year. Both councils ended the year with powerful presentations to their partners, reflecting on their journeys, sharing key accomplishments, and offering thoughtful insights and takeaways.

The Citywide Student Voice Council made meaningful strides across DC schools by launching student-led voice councils and hosting mental health town halls. These initiatives were inspired by the work of previous SVC cohorts and are a testament to the lasting impact of youth-driven leadership.

The Citywide Safety and Justice Council made history by hosting its first-ever youth-led Juvenile Justice Conference. Throughout the year, members designed engaging and educational sessions that addressed critical gaps in understanding the juvenile justice system, laying the groundwork for efforts to help prevent youth involvement in the system.
Both councils also led efforts in survey design, data collection, and public testimony. They brought civic engagement to life during our unforgettable civil rights trip to North Carolina, once again proving that democracy is a verb.

We are incredibly proud of the bold, passionate, and thoughtful young leaders who powered these councils. We hope they carry this year’s accomplishments with pride, and we can’t wait to see what they take on next.

The Youth Leadership Summit co-hosted by and the .advocate was a powerful celebration of youth voice and leadership.

From inspiring youth-led presentations to thoughtful discussions, this event showed that young people are able to turn their ideas into action and make change! Special shoutout to Lola from the Mikva team for all of her hardwork in making this event special!

We are also extremely grateful for the Office of the Student Advocate team's collaboration and we've been proud to co-create spaces where youth lead and thrive. 🎉

Congratulations to Athena, our 2025 Mikva Challenge Jack Marco Leadership Award recipient! 🏆✨ Athena accepted this prestigious scholarship at the NABTU Conference, honoring her outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to making youth voice heard. We're so proud of you, Athena — keep making Democracy a Verb!

Youth Leaders from Mikva Challenge DC recently had the opportunity to connect with labor leaders and share their transformative experiences in Mikva programming at the National Building and Trades Union (NABTU) event—highlighting the power of youth voice in shaping our democracy. Huge thanks to all the young people who showed up and showed out, including our standout Soapbox speaker, Elijah.