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CAST Tech senior Jonathon Gilbert and his team huddled to deliver their pitch for peer mentoring, a program to prepare younger students to succeed at the career-focused high school. It was Senior Showcase Night. Thirty student teams of seniors presented to parents, teachers, and interested adults across the campus. The pitch capped a year-long, project-based learning (PBL) experience called “Legacy Projects,” where seniors explored and proposed ways to strengthen their community and leave their legacy for future generations.
At CAST Schools, a core belief is that if you want to know how things are going in school, ask the students (and believe them). CAST, an anchor partner of the Future Ready Bexar County Plan, is committed to strengthening and scaling youth voice alongside Future Ready partners, showcasing how engaging young people in decision-making better prepares them for success.
Seniors at CAST Tech, co-created in partnership with San Antonio ISD, also initiated CAST INK, a student-led newspaper to inform students, elevate student voice and increase engagement. “We write for the students as a student. It is not perfect or polished. Other newspapers have their own guidelines and templates. [CAST INK] showcases student impact and embodies what CAST is — a creative voice,” said graduating senior Nikolas Maldonado. Founders identified five mentees to helm the newspaper next year. “At the end of the day, your legacy project is your passion. It is a reflection of your identity,” Maldonado said.
As their legacy, Joaquin Cuellar and team advocated enhanced support for first-generation college students. As first-gen students themselves, they wished they had taken more challenging courses, and prioritized grades. The CAST model introduces college conversations in 9th grade, and includes college visits and coursework throughout high school, as well as both college AND career experiences. Questioned, these students reminded the audience that they had spent most of their 9th grade year online, so they and their parents missed critical information sessions. The students identified something that leaders would otherwise not have seen — a reminder of why it is important to listen to students at every opportunity, and take that feedback to get better.
“During CAST Tech’s year-long legacy process, students identify a driving question, research, test ideas, and engage with industry professionals to learn how to leave both a legacy and a reflection,” said Kendra Garza, CAST Tech project based learning lead.
In a powerful testament to the value placed on student voice, faculty and students have implemented many of these legacy proposals, such as establishing The Round Table, a leadership group dedicated to empowering females on campus. Last year, seniors proposed to improve safety on Flores Street with a school zone. Because this push has not been successful yet, current seniors reached out to city council members.
Co-creation with young people takes many forms at CAST, including the legacy projects, now the standard across the CAST Schools network. Sharing power also means students have participated in focus groups and filled out a survey to inform the design of CAST’s new middle school, CAST Imagine, which will open in August at Brooks.
Youth Voice & Agency is one of four pillars that shape the student experience across all CAST Schools. Students act as co-creators and co-problem solvers at the school and beyond, offering ideas, posing new questions, and authentically engaging in their education.
CAST teachers provide opportunities for students to talk about their learning in a variety of ways beyond the senior legacy projects. For example, a blended learning format — teaching that happens both in person and online — allows teachers the time to meet with students one-to-one on a regular basis. During these feedback sessions, teachers and students talk about goals, progress or setbacks, and ways to support continued growth — both academically and personally. Over time, students take more ownership of the reflection piece and eventually lead their own conference with a trusted adult of their choosing — a meeting called student-led conferences (SLCs). SLCs are a powerful way for students to explain their perspective, demonstrate what they learned, and ask for help if needed.
Traditionally, when considering incorporating ”youth voice,” most schools and organizations have relied on traditional approaches like advisory councils or surveying. CAST engages in both, while also seeking to share decision-making power with students whenever possible. CAST’s student advisory council focuses on leadership development and connects students with community and international leaders. The student advisory makes an annual trip to Mexico in an effort to understand a culture with close ties to San Antonio and to understand industry and economics on a global scale. Student advisory members also create the theme and title, design the marketing poster, and develop, implement and run workshops for an annual youth-led Youth Rally for nearly 400 CAST 10th graders.
Across the CAST Schools network, students engage in project-based learning, tackling real-world projects rooted in their community. At CAST Med within San Antonio ISD, students seek to improve health outcomes on the South Side, partnering with local stakeholders to form Club D.E.P.O.T. (Diabetes Education and Prevention Organized Team), a student-led organization dedicated to preventing diabetes. Student-led projects have created mental health rooms, clothes closets, student-run clubs, and pep rallies designed to enhance school spirit.
Fernando Garcia, a member of the first graduating class from CAST Tech High School in 2021, advocated for the school to create an Esports team as a sophomore. “They approved the team and said, this is yours. Grow it.” From there, he and his colleagues recruited members, secured a teacher to sponsor the team, and began networking with the larger Esports community. “That freedom that CAST Tech provided, as a 15-year-old, helped me build my confidence and build my network.” Fernando attends San Antonio College and works as a production assistant for ASM Global and the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology, a connection he made during his high school years. CAST Tech recently won second place for Valorant at the Texas Undisputed Esports State Championships.
