Every year, Student Leaders Initiating Change (SLIC) puts on a program called Raise-Your-Voice. SLIC students attend one of the district's middle schools; Riley Street Middle School along with the ⅚ Building at Georgetown on January 25th and 27th. Raise-Your-Voice is an opportunity for high school students to guide and share techniques for eliminating peer pressure and stress with sixth graders. 

The students participating in Raise-Your-Voice go through two school days' worth of training hosted by Arbor Circle, an organization that helps students learn how to teach other students, where they refresh past skills, develop presenting habits, and learn methods to best present information to middle schoolers. They specifically learn how to teach younger students skills with communication, peer pressure, stress coping skills, and bullying. “Being a part of Raise-Your-Voice has personally helped me make better decisions and be more comfortable with not only public speaking but saying no to peer pressure,” said SLIC member Olivia Fleck.

The main lesson that the SLIC members want sixth graders to take away is that just because somebody says something is cool or “normal”, it may not be, and it is okay to say no. 

Watching older students talk about these issues and how to cope with them may encourage them to take the advice seriously. According to Western Governors University, If a student learns exclusively from the teacher, they may only gain one new perspective. Learning from their peers can add numerous helpful perspectives, nuances, and layers to a student’s knowledge. 

The Raise-Your-Voice program is an available opportunity for all SLIC members but only 24 students are chosen. The requirements are they have to be positive, energetic, and have the ability to communicate important information to younger students. “My favorite part of the Raise Your Voice program is the ability to see how and where middle schoolers can use the skills we teach throughout their school careers. While presenting, we form skits that mimic common scenarios and situations a middle schooler might experience so they can easily identify and use the skills we teach them,” said active SLIC member Paxton Brechting.