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Twenty-five high school students from 15 states logged into the Student Press Law Center’s New Voices Student Leaders Institute this summer expecting to learn about press freedom, but they say they took away so much more. After two weeks of training and collaborating with their peers, they’re now equipped with the leadership skills, advocacy strategies and confidence to lead campaigns for press freedom in their states and communities.
Myesha Phukan, a 2023 institute alumna and now an SPLC advocacy intern, helped co-facilitate the 2026 institute. She shares her experiences working with students who are following in her advocacy footsteps.
Emma Alves is a junior at John Burroughs High School in California. She shares her experienes at the 2026 Institute and what comes next for her advocacy.
