ACHS Scholars’ Recommendations for Expanding Affordable Housing

ACHS scholars recommended that Alexandria use housing development, renter protections, public investment, and community partnerships to ensure families can find safe, stable homes they can afford. Their recommendations included:

• Build and preserve more affordable housing by increasing public funding, developing additional affordable units, protecting existing affordable homes from conversion to market-rate housing, and ensuring new units remain affordable over time.
• Require or encourage affordable homes in new developments through inclusionary zoning, mixed-income development, developer partnerships, and incentives for projects that advance the City’s housing goals.
• Make it easier to create affordable housing by streamlining zoning and development processes, allowing a wider variety of housing types, and using publicly owned land for affordable development.
• Protect residents from displacement and excessive housing costs through rent stabilization, rental and utility assistance, property-tax relief, limits on unexpected fees, and other protections that help families remain in their homes. One student specifically recommended waiving condominium fees for households earning less than 30% of the area median income.
• Expand housing assistance, supportive housing, and legal services for families experiencing financial hardship, housing instability, eviction, or homelessness.
• Create sustainable sources of housing funding, including housing trust funds supported by developer contributions and loan repayments.
• Strengthen implementation of the Housing 2040 Master Plan by carrying out existing strategies, monitoring progress, and adding policies where current efforts have not kept pace with rising costs and demand.
• Include residents in housing decisions and advocacy, particularly people directly affected by housing insecurity and displacement.

Sources:

• Equitable Rent by Sally Patrick (2025)
• Affordable Housing by diazgerman (2025)
• Affordable Housing by sortocruzsheilyn (2025)
• Affordable Housing by Michael G., Abdul S., & Mustafa K. (2025)

Students’ Recommendations for ensuring that families can meet immediate needs for Food, Utilities & Essential Household Supplies

ACHS students recommended ensuring that families can meet immediate needs for food, utilities, hygiene products, clothing, and household supplies. Their recommendations included:

• Increase access to food during the school day by providing free, healthy snacks and creating a free student pantry at ACHS.
• Extend food support beyond school hours through take-home meal and snack bags for students who may not have enough food after school or on weekends.
• Expand community food distribution by offering distributions more frequently and in more locations, particularly in neighborhoods with the greatest need.
• Provide utility assistance so families do not have to choose between keeping their homes heated, cooled, or connected to essential services and paying for food, rent, or healthcare.
• Organize recurring food, hygiene, clothing, and household-supply drives through schools and community locations. Students suggested donation boxes where residents could contribute items needed by families experiencing hardship.
• Strengthen partnerships and food drives involving ACPS Nutrition Services, ALIVE!, Catholic Charities, food banks, grocery stores, churches, farmers, volunteers, and other community organizations.
• Prioritize healthy food options, including fresh produce, fruit, granola bars, crackers, water, juice, and other nutritious foods.
• Make food and household assistance easier to find by clearly promoting food distributions, pantries, SNAP, utility assistance, and other resources through schools, flyers, hotlines, social media, and community outreach.

Sources:

• Affordable & Healthy Food Choices in Alexandria by Richard Reyes (2026)
• Food Pantry for Students by Mahdi Payam (2026)
• Free Snacks in School by Jeffrey Quinteros Fuentes (2026)
• Take Home Food Options by Emilson Velasquez Hernandez (2026)
• Donation Box by Paramee Watchareeudomkarn (2026)
• Student Hunger at ACHS by Barahona-Yanez (2026)
• Food Costs and Food Access by Daniel Rivera (2026)

Students’ Recommendations for Strengthening Household Financial Stability

ACHS students recommended helping families increase their incomes and access opportunities that lead to greater long-term financial stability. Their recommendations included:

• Increase wages by raising the minimum wage and encouraging employers to provide fair, livable compensation.
• Strengthen worker protections and employment benefits, including access to affordable employer-sponsored healthcare.
• Create more employment opportunities for residents, including young people entering the workforce.
• Expand access to free or affordable college courses, vocational education, and workforce training so residents can qualify for higher-paying and more stable employment.
• Connect residents with income supports and public benefits for which they qualify, particularly during periods of unemployment, reduced hours, or financial crisis.

Sources:

• Cost of Living by Rosmery Quintanilla (2026)
• Cost of Living by Christofer Rivera (2026)
• High Cost of Living & It's Impact by Ashlyn Perez (2026)
• Rising Costs in the ACHS Community by Ivy Miralda-Molina (2026)
• Cost of Living's Effect on People of Color by Alora Denby & Ethan Sinor (2025)
• Cost of Living by Jonathan Gonzales(2025)
• Cost of Living by Elyas (2025)

Students’ Recommendations for ensuring that young people and families can receive Health Care, Child Care, & Family Supports

Affordable Health Care

Students recommended ensuring that young people and families can receive needed medical care without costs, insurance gaps, or complicated systems preventing access. Their recommendations included:

• Increase access to health insurance by expanding eligibility for public coverage and helping uninsured or underinsured residents enroll in plans for which they qualify.
• Reduce patients’ out-of-pocket costs for premiums, prescriptions, appointments, tests, treatment, and specialist care.
• Address the underlying causes of rising healthcare prices, rather than relying solely on temporary financial assistance after care becomes unaffordable.
• Protect and strengthen financial assistance through the health insurance marketplace to keep premiums affordable and reduce the number of uninsured residents.

Source: Affordable Health Care by sanuadama (2025)

Reproductive Health & Pregnancy Prevention

Students recommended helping young people make informed decisions and prevent unintended pregnancies through accessible, confidential, and youth-friendly support. Their recommendations included:

• Expand comprehensive reproductive health education in schools and the community. Education should be ongoing, engaging, age-appropriate, and inclusive of youth of all genders.
• Make confidential reproductive healthcare and counseling easier to access, including accurate health information, contraception, counseling, and connections to trusted healthcare professionals.
• Include young people in designing education and outreach so programs, campaigns, and messages reflect their questions, experiences, cultures, and preferred ways of receiving information.

Source: Teen Pregnancy (2026)

Supports for Pregnant & Parenting Teens

Students recommended ensuring that pregnant and parenting teens can care for themselves and their children while remaining connected to school and future opportunities. Their recommendations included:

• Provide coordinated food and nutrition assistance, including WIC enrollment, affordable baby food, food pantries, fresh food, and infant nutrition support.
• Connect young parents with childcare, diapers, children’s clothing, and other essential supplies.
• Help young families access SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and other financial and public-benefit programs.
• Provide peer advocacy, parenting groups, mentoring, and trusted adults who can help young parents navigate school, healthcare, and family responsibilities.
• Help pregnant and parenting students remain enrolled and succeed academically by coordinating school supports with childcare and family services.
• Remove barriers to assistance, including complicated applications, stigma, limited information, transportation challenges, language barriers, distrust, and culturally mismatched services.
• Strengthen partnerships among ACPS, families, healthcare providers, and community organizations, including the Teen Wellness Center, the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy, WIC, ALIVE!, Inova, Food for Others, food pantries, and Tenants and Workers United.

Source: Cost of Baby Food for Teen Parents by Sabia Samus and Ashley Juarez-Osorio (2025)

Early Care & Education

Students recommended creating an early childhood system that is affordable, accessible, coordinated, and responsive to children’s and families’ needs. Their recommendations included:

• Increase public investment in early care and education through childcare subsidies, facility improvements, and financial support for providers.
• Create a coordinated enrollment system for publicly funded preschool, childcare, Head Start, and other early-learning programs.
• Expand infant and toddler care capacity by developing new spaces, adapting public facilities, and helping providers serve more children.
• Improve compensation for early childhood educators to reduce turnover and strengthen the quality and consistency of care.
• Prioritize underserved families and neighborhoods when allocating funding, childcare spaces, and family support.
• Provide culturally and linguistically responsive programs that reflect children’s languages, communities, and identities.
• Strengthen family engagement, coordination, and accountability across public agencies, providers, and community organizations.

Source: Early Childhood Education in Alexandria by Chase McKnight and Viggo Viira (2025)

Student Recommendation for Making it Easier for Families to Navigate Supports

• Make assistance easier to find and use. Students recommended clear, multilingual, and accessible information about housing, food, utilities, healthcare, childcare, financial assistance, and public benefits through schools, social media, hotlines, community outreach, and trusted organizations.

Sources:

• Affordable & Healthy Food Choices in Alexandria by Richard Reyes (2026)
• Rising Costs in the ACHS Community by Ivy Miralda-Molina (2026)
• Cost of Living by Elyas (2025)

ACHS Scholars’ Recommendations for Strengthening Safety and Belonging

Across the 2025 and 2026 report cards, ACHS students called for schools where young people are physically protected, treated respectfully, connected to trusted adults, included in decisions, and able to report problems without fear. Their recommendations included:

• Improve the quality, training, and accountability of school security staff. Students recommended hiring enough experienced and attentive personnel while requiring ongoing training in de-escalation, respectful communication, crisis response, emergency preparedness, and appropriate conduct while on duty. Several emphasized that adding more guards will not improve safety unless staff are visible, responsive, professional, and trusted by students (Sources: ACHS Security Guards by Rilo Farmer (2026); School Safety & Security by Cheik Bamba (2026); School Safety & Security at ACHS by Glenn Hernandez (2026); Safety & Security in Schools & Communities by Almaz Yohannes, Emily Lemus, and Layla Benitez (2025); and School and Security by Melendez Martinez (2026)).
• Increase adult presence in the places and times where students feel least safe. Students called for better supervision in hallways, bathrooms, cafeterias, libraries, entrances, after-school activities, and other high-risk locations and transition times. They recommended positioning trained security staff, teachers, and trusted adults where fights, bullying, and other unsafe behavior are most likely to occur (Sources: School Safety & Security by Bamba (2026); School Safety & Security at ACHS by Hernandez (2026); School Safety & Security by Fernando Garcia (2026); School Safety and Security/Bullying by Mohammed Hammoude (2026); School Safety & Security by Brandyn Aguilera-Cruz (2026); and School Safety & Security in ACPS by Arin Storks (2025)).
• Strengthen physical security and emergency preparedness. Students recommended staffed and monitored entrances, additional cameras, secure doors, properly planned safety drills, stronger perimeter security, multi-platform emergency alerts, clearer emergency-response protocols, and annual safety audits with student involvement. They also called for ACPS to regularly assess whether existing visitor check-in, camera, door, and weapons-screening procedures are reliable and effective (Sources: School Safety & Security in ACPS, Storks (2025); Safety & Security in Schools & Communities by Yohannes, Lemus, and Benitez (2025); School Safety & Security by Bamba (2026); School Safety & Security at ACHS by Hernandez (2026); Student Safety by Fatima Mishaal (2025); ACHS Security Guards by Farmer (2026); and School Safety by hamiditabasum (2025)).
• Prevent fights and conflict before they escalate. Students recommended peer mediation, conflict-resolution education, peer-support programs, safety ambassadors, trusted-adult guidance, and opportunities for students to get help managing anger, stress, and disagreements. They also called for clearer and faster responses when fights or bullying occur and more ways for students to help create a peaceful school environment. (Sources: School Safety & Security in ACPS by Storks (2025); Mental Health & Emotional Wellness by Maryamawit A. (2026); School Safety & Security at ACHS by Hernandez (2026); School Safety & Security by Garcia (2026); School Safety and Security/Bullying by Hammoude (2026); and School Safety & Security by Ema Patricia Caballero Membreno (2026)).
• Strengthen bullying and cyberbullying prevention. Students recommended recurring lessons, workshops, assemblies, classroom presentations, and student-led campaigns about bullying, kindness, respect, digital responsibility, mental health, and how to respond safely or seek help. Schools should provide counseling, peer support, and safe spaces for students affected by bullying while offering meaningful education and intervention for students who engage in bullying, rather than relying primarily on suspension. (Sources: Cyber Bullying in Social Media by Jonatan Perez (2026); On How We Can Stop How to Stop Bullying at ACHS by Edder Acosta Perez (2026); School Safety and Security/Bullying by Hammoude (2026); Student Safety by Mishaal (2025); and School Safety & Security in ACPS by Storks (2025).
• Make it easier and safer to report bullying, cyberbullying, and other safety concerns. Students proposed anonymous online forms, QR-code reporting tools, private ways to report concerns, better promotion of existing systems, and clear follow-up so students know their reports were received and taken seriously. They emphasized that fear of retaliation, embarrassment, lack of trust, confusion about the process, or believing that nothing will change often prevents students from speaking up. (Sources: Bullying at ACHS by Nahom Mengiste (2026); Cyber Bullying in Social Media by Perez (2026); School Safety & Security in ACPS by Storks (2025); and School Safety and Security/Bullying by Hammoude (2026)).
• Expand access to trusted adults, mental health support, and safe spaces. Students recommended more counselors, therapists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals; easier and more private ways to reach them; counselor check-ins; peer-support groups; stress-relief activities; and welcoming quiet rooms or safe spaces where students can talk openly, calm down, or take a mental-health break. They also called for stronger trust and communication between students and counselors, teachers, administrators, and other trusted adults so young people feel comfortable seeking help early. (Sources:  Improving Student Access to School Counselors at ACHS by Sara Al Bahlani (2026); Mental Health Support for Students at ACHS by Ahmad Ehsan Nazar (2026); Mental Health by Dua Sajjad (2026); Mental Health Awareness by Eliud Monge-Paz (2026); Students Struggling with Mental Health & Depression by Yasin Bhuiyan (2026); Cyber Bullying in Social Media by Perez (2026); School Safety & Security in ACPS by Storks (2025); School Awareness & Safety of Students by Maurice Brown (2026); School Safety/Security by Yakoub, Mussa Seman, Legend Barnes (2025); and School Safety by hamiditabasum (2025)).
• Give students a meaningful role in safety decisions. Students recommended recurring safety surveys, forums and other opportunities to share their experiences, annual safety audits with student participation, and student-led conflict-resolution, safety-ambassador, and kindness initiatives. They called on ACPS leaders to communicate openly with students, encourage them to speak up about policies and conditions affecting their safety, and continue adjusting strategies based on student and family feedback. Students also recommended using survey and community input to help determine the appropriate role of police officers and School Resource Officers in schools. (Sources: School Safety & Security in ACPS by Storks (2025); Student Safety by Mishaal (2025); School Safety & Security at ACHS by Hernandez (2026); and Safety & Security in Schools & Communities by Yohannes, Lemus, and Benitez (2025)).
• Create a more welcoming, inclusive, and engaging school climate. Students recommended helping new students feel welcomed and build friendships, creating more opportunities for students to talk and connect with one another, making learning more engaging and purposeful, and building an inclusive culture where students feel respected, supported, and able to belong. They also urged ACPS to balance safety rules with student well-being, open communication, and trust rather than relying only on restrictive policies. (Sources: Welcoming School Environment by Dylan Barrios (2025); School Safety by Herbert Rodriguez Aleman (2025); School Safety by Nixon Josue (2025); and Safety & Security in Schools & Communities by Yohannes, Lemus, and Benitez (2025)).
• Balance security with dignity, fairness, and student well-being. Students supported clear expectations and consistent responses to violence, bullying, and other unsafe behavior. At the same time, they cautioned that locked bathrooms, unclear or overly strict restrictions, disrespectful interactions, and policies developed without sufficient student input can increase stress, limit access, and deepen mistrust between students and school staff. They recommended regularly reviewing safety policies using student surveys, audits, and dialogue; holding security personnel accountable for respectful and professional conduct; and ensuring that safety measures protect students without unnecessarily harming their mental health, freedom, trust, or access to basic needs (Sources: Safety & Security in Schools & Communities by Yohannes, Lemus, and Benitez (2025); ACHS Security Guards by Farmer (2026); Student Safety by Mishaal (2025); School Safety & Security in ACPS by Storks (2025); School Safety and Security/Bullying by Hammoude (2026); School Safety & Security by Amar Muhammad (2026)).
• Engage families and community partners in school safety and violence prevention. Students recommended involving parents and caregivers in safety planning, feedback, and support for student behavior, while partnering with PTAs, ACPS leadership, police and School Resource Officers, mental health providers, City agencies, and community organizations. Proposed roles included hosting family and student safety workshops; providing after-school programs, adult mentoring, and positive activities; training staff and student leaders to recognize and respond to crises; expanding trauma-informed and mental health support; and coordinating resources, funding, and violence-prevention efforts across schools and the broader community. Students specifically identified the Alexandria Police Department, RAISE, Mental Health America, Hazel Health, Casa Chirilagua, Safe Space NOVA, City government, and other local partners (Sources: School Safety & Security in ACPS by Storks (2025); School Safety & Security by Membreno (2026); Mental Health & Emotional Wellness by Maryamawit A. (2026); Student Safety by Mishaal (2025); School Safety by Nixon Josue (2025); School Awareness & Safety of Students by Brown (2026); School Safety & Security by Muhammad (2026); School Safety/Security by Yakoub, Seman, and Barnes (2025); and School Safety by hamiditabasum (2025)).
• Track whether safety strategies are improving students’ actual experiences. Students recommended regularly reviewing incident reports, attendance and disciplinary trends, student safety surveys, and feedback from students and families. Evaluation should also examine how quickly and effectively concerns are addressed, whether students feel comfortable reporting problems and seeking help, and whether students experience greater safety, respect, trust, and support. Students emphasized that simply adding cameras, guards, rules, counseling services, or reporting tools does not demonstrate success when violence and bullying continue or students still feel unsafe, unheard, or reluctant to approach adults. (Sources: School Safety & Security in ACPS by Storks (2025); Student Safety by Mishaal (2025); ACHS Security Guards by Farmer (2026); Cyber Bullying in Social Media by Perez (2026); School Safety & Security by Bamba (2026); School Safety and Security/Bullying by Hammoude (2026); School Safety & Security at ACHS by Hernandez (2026); School Awareness & Safety of Students by Brown (2026); School Safety/Security by Yakoub, Seman, and Barnes (2025); and School Safety by hamiditabasum (2025)).

Student report cards informing this section:

• ACHS Security Guards by Rilo Farmer (2026)
• Bullying at ACHS by Nahom Mengiste (2026)
• Cyber Bullying in Social Media by Perez Gabriel (2026)
• How to Stop Bullying at ACHS by Acosta Perez (2026)
• School and Security by Melendez Martinez (2026)
• School Awareness & Safety of Students by Maurice Brown (2026)
• School Safety & Security (bullying project) (2026)
• School Safety & Security by Brandyn Aguilera-Cruz (2026)
• School Safety & Security  by Cheik Bamba (2026)
• School Safety & Security by Ema Patricia Caballero Membreno (2026)
• School Safety & Security  by Fernando Garcia (2026)
• School Safety & Security by Glenn Hernandez (2026)
• School Safety & Security by Amar Muhammad (2026)
• School Safety & Security in ACPS by Arin Storks (2025)
• School Safety/Security by Yakoub, Mussa Seman, Legend Barnes (2025)
• Safety & Security in Schools & Communities by Almaz Yohannes, Emily Lemus, & Layla Benitez (2025)
• School Safety by Nixon Josue (2025)
• School Safety by Herbert Rodriguez Aleman (2025)
• Student Safety by Fatima Mishaal (2025)
• School Safety by hamiditabasum (2025)
• Mental Health & Emotional Wellness by Maryamawit A. (2026)
• Welcoming School Environment by Dylan Barrios (2025)

ACHS Scholars’ Recommendations for Improving School Conditions

Across the 2025 and 2026 report cards, ACHS scholars recommended improving the everyday systems and physical conditions that shape whether they can eat, take school buses, use school facilities, remain healthy, and focus on learning. Their recommendations included:

• Provide healthier, fresher, and more appealing school meals. Students asked for better-tasting food, more fruits and vegetables, healthier drinks and snacks, greater variety, and regular opportunities to provide feedback on menus. 
• Make cafeteria meals inclusive of students’ religious, cultural, and medical needs. Recommendations included offering certified halal and gluten-free meals every day, providing allergy-friendly options, clearly labeling ingredients and common allergens, working with certified vendors, training cafeteria staff in food allergies and religious dietary practices, and simplifying the accommodation process so religious needs do not require a doctor’s signature. Students also proposed a menu advisory group that would allow students to test meals and work directly with Nutrition Services.
• Increase access to free food throughout the school day. Students proposed free healthy snacks, grab-and-go stations, student food pantries, additional free-food events, and expanded meal programs for students who become hungry between breakfast and lunch or cannot afford food. Schools could seek donations and support from food banks, nonprofits, businesses, and other community partners.
• Give students more time to eat, rest, and connect during lunch. Students repeatedly recommended extending lunch by at least 15 minutes and ensuring that students have adequate seated eating time after traveling to the cafeteria, checking in, and waiting in line. Suggested schedule options included slightly shortening classes or passing periods, rotating extended lunches, or otherwise restructuring the day without significantly reducing instructional time.
• Reduce cafeteria bottlenecks and waiting time. Ideas included staggered entry by grade or class, adding more food-service stations, creating a digital meal pre-order system, reducing unnecessary Minga ID checks, providing rotating priority access, and opening outdoor or additional eating areas. Some students also proposed designated spaces for seniors to complete college work, lead clubs, or meet with peers during lunch.
• Keep bathrooms open, clean, functional, and consistently stocked. Students recommended a clear policy requiring bathrooms to remain unlocked during school hours, with soap, toilet paper, paper towels, and hand sanitizer checked and replenished throughout the day. They also called for more custodial coverage, frequent inspections, faster repairs of broken toilets, sinks, doors, and dispensers, and greater investment in renovating deteriorated facilities.
• Create a fast, student-accessible system for reporting facility problems. Several students proposed adding a reporting feature to Minga or placing QR codes near bathrooms so students and staff can report missing supplies, leaks, odors, broken equipment, or cleanliness problems. Reports should go directly to custodial or maintenance staff, allowing the school to respond quickly and track which locations experience recurring problems.
• Improve privacy, dignity, and feelings of safety in school restrooms. One proposal called for renovating King Street bathrooms using features students appreciated at Minnie Howard, including fully enclosed stalls without large gaps. More broadly, students wanted bathrooms they could use without feeling exposed, unsafe, uncomfortable, or forced to search the building for an available restroom.
• Provide free menstrual and personal-hygiene products directly in bathrooms. Students emphasized that dispensers should remain stocked throughout the year and that products should be placed where young people can access them privately, rather than requiring them to find an adult and ask for help. They identified the Teen Wellness Center and ALIVE! as possible partners for information, products, or additional support.
• Improve school transportation capacity, timing, and safety. Students recommended adding buses or improving routes in overcrowded areas, tracking which buses regularly exceed capacity, adjusting schedules to distribute riders more evenly, and allowing enough transition time for students traveling between campuses. For intercampus transportation, students supported either maintaining safe shuttle transportation or, if walking is permitted, providing crossing guards and other protections at busy intersections.
• Build student feedback into decisions about facilities and operations. Students recommended regular surveys, menu advisory groups, student-led evaluation committees, and formal roles for the Student Government Association and student School Board representatives. These structures could help collect concerns, communicate them to decision-makers, test proposed changes, and report back to students about what was addressed.

Maintenance & Custodial Services

• ACHS Bathroom Conditions by Velasquez Diaz (2026)
• ACHS Bathroom Issues_Perez Flores (2026)
• Bathroom Cleanliness & Stocking_Jaimes (2026)
• Changing King Street Bathrooms_Pineda Majano (2026)
• Cleaning & Improving School Bathrooms_Stanikzaih (2026)
• Cleanliness & Problems with ACHS Bathrooms_Pone (2026)
• Facilities Maintenance & Repair_Boulhaddat (2026)
• School Facilities & Operations_Santos Sandoval (2026)
• Provide Free Hygiene Products in School Bathrooms_Chicas (2026)
• School Bathrooms in Alexandria_Umanzor Guerra (2026)

School Lunch Services

• Halal Food Options_Jamil (2026)
• Healthy School Lunch_Stanikzaih (2026)
• Improving School Lunch_Encinas Moya (2026)
• Lunch Break Issues_Hemat (2026)
• Short School Lunches_Garcia Sanchez (2026)
• Healthy Eating at School by Selina Chen & Quinn MacBride (2025)

School Bus Transit & Intercampus Transportation

• School Bus Transportation (2026)

ACHS Scholars’ Recommendations for Advancing Educational Equity

ACHS scholars recommended that ACPS provide students with different pathways and supports based on what they need to succeed, rather than expecting every student to navigate school in the same way. Their recommendations included:

• Expand accessible academic support by offering more after-school tutoring, one-on-one help from teachers or trained peers, and additional time for students who need concepts explained differently or at a slower pace. Students also recommended better promotion and scheduling of tutoring so students know what is available and can participate without feeling uncomfortable asking for help.
• Identify struggling students early and reach out proactively. Teachers, counselors, and administrators should monitor students’ progress, help them develop manageable plans for completing assignments and credits, and offer support before they are at risk of failing or dropping out. Students emphasized encouragement, strong relationships, and making young people feel that adults at school believe in their potential.
• Make counselors more visible and accessible, particularly for students who may not have a parent or other adult available to help them navigate academic decisions. Counselors should proactively connect students with tutoring, credit recovery, advanced courses, and other opportunities instead of waiting for students to seek them out.
• Offer more flexible credit-recovery options during the school year, including after-school and self-paced online programs. Students also recommended communicating these options earlier, extending registration deadlines, reducing rigid attendance requirements, and making accommodations for students who work, care for family members, have disabilities, or face other scheduling barriers.
• Strengthen instruction and support for English Learners by hiring more bilingual and ELL-certified educators, incorporating more visual and speaking-based learning materials, closely monitoring students’ language and academic development, and adjusting assistance as their needs change.
• Create engaging and culturally responsive learning environments that connect lessons to students’ interests, provide students with greater voice and autonomy in their learning, and ensure students of every background feel welcomed, valued, and capable of succeeding.
• Improve equitable access to advanced classes and academic opportunities. School staff should actively encourage and support students from low-income families and historically underrepresented groups to pursue advanced coursework instead of relying on students or their families to navigate those opportunities independently.
• Bring academic and basic-needs supports together on school campuses so transportation and other barriers do not prevent students from getting help. Students envisioned a coordinated model offering tutoring alongside healthy food, clothing, mental and physical healthcare, disability screening, housing and childcare assistance, and connections to other family resources.
• Expand equitable access to field trips and hands-on learning. Schools should identify educational destinations, secure funding for transportation and admission costs, align trips with classroom learning, recruit chaperones, protect student safety, and gather student and staff feedback to improve future experiences.
• Strengthen partnerships with community organizations such as Communities in Schools of NOVA, Liberty’s Promise, LINK Club, Casa Chirilagua, libraries, museums, and educational centers to provide tutoring, language development, career preparation, basic-needs assistance, and experiential learning.

Sources:

• Academic Support & Student Success by Rubio Sanchez (2026)
• ACHS Credit Recovery & Academic Flexibility by Tsion Bogale (2026)
• Improving Academic Support for ELL Students by Emely Baten Grave (2026)
• Educational Equity in Alexandria by Trudy Hardman (2025)
• Student Success & Equity by Diamond Watkins (2025)
• Field Trips (2025)
• Supportive School Environment (2025)
• Welcoming School Environment (2025)

School Operations

• Inclusive Meal Options at School by Leia Hubbard (2025)
• Amount of Time Had for School Lunch by Izabela Molina & Zainab Keita (2025)
• Adjusting the School Lunch Period by Benjamin Odife & Atticus Ackley (2025)
• Intercampus Bus Transportation at ACPS by Calvin Brown, Ettian Lewis, and Celina Delcid Zelaya (2025)
• School Cleanliness (2025)

ACHS Scholars’ Recommendations for Expanding Youth Leadership

The Youth Leadership report card focused on increasing representation and opportunities for Hispanic and Latino students across ACPS. Its recommendations included:

• Create more meaningful leadership roles in every school, rather than limiting opportunities to a small number of students or individual programs.
• Launch a Latinx Student Leadership Council through which students can represent their peers, identify concerns, advise school leaders, and help shape decisions affecting their school experiences.
• Offer bilingual leadership training across ACPS. Training could help students build skills in public speaking, advocacy, organizing, facilitation, communication, and civic participation while allowing them to learn and lead in the languages in which they are most comfortable.
• Hold a Hispanic Youth Conference that brings students together to build skills, connect with mentors, share ideas, and discuss issues affecting their schools and communities.
• Expand existing bilingual leadership clubs, youth-led organizing, mentoring, and public-speaking opportunities so successful programs reach more students and schools.
• Partner with trusted community organizations such as Casa Chirilagua and Tenants and Workers United, along with the ACPS Equity Office, to recruit students, provide mentorship and training, and support youth-led initiatives.

Source: Hispanic Youth Leadership (2025) - see image below

ACHS Scholars’ Recommendations for Improving Youth Mental Health

Across the report cards from 2025 and 2026, ACHS students recommended creating a mental health system that is easier to access, more trusted, more culturally responsive, and more closely connected to students’ daily experiences at school and in the community. Their recommendations included:

• Increase the number and variety of mental health professionals available to students. Students called for more school counselors, social workers, psychologists, licensed therapists, and, in some cases, psychiatrists, rather than relying on a limited number of counselors who must also handle academic and college-planning responsibilities. They recommended drop-in hours, faster appointment systems, and access to clinical support during the school day.
• Create safe, calming places where students can take a mental-health break. Students repeatedly proposed wellness rooms, calm zones, or “Zen Dens” at both ACHS campuses where they could decompress, regulate their emotions, finish work, or speak privately with a trusted adult. Suggested features included comfortable seating, low lighting, art and music, board games, physical activities, mindfulness exercises, and anti-stress or sensory tools.
• Develop welcoming community-based mental health hubs. One detailed proposal envisioned a free, nonclinical space in a local recreation center that would be open after school and on weekends. Youth could attend with friends, participate in art, music, sports, journaling, and other low-pressure activities, join facilitated peer groups, or request a private session.
• Expand student-led and peer-support programs. Ideas included a “Share and Care Club,” peer-mentoring groups, culturally matched peer leaders, student mental health ambassadors, and an anonymous peer-mediation program through which students could request support online and meet with trained peers during lunch or after school. Peer leaders would listen, provide initial support, and connect students with professional help when needed.
• Make existing resources much easier to find and understand. Students recommended regular classroom and advisory presentations, posters, announcements, websites, social media campaigns, and hands-on demonstrations showing exactly how to use resources such as Hazel Health, the Teen Wellness Center, counseling services, support groups, and crisis lines. One student proposed a required Mental Health Awareness Week during Titan Advisory so every student learns how to access help.
• Provide culturally and linguistically responsive support. Students recommended bilingual and culturally knowledgeable professionals, mentors, and peer facilitators who understand students’ backgrounds and experiences. Ideas included bilingual workshops for families, culturally relevant conversations about stigma, and programs designed specifically to build trust with Hispanic, immigrant, low-income, and other underserved youth. Students also proposed making some community-based services free and available without insurance, identification, or proof of residence.
• Train teachers and other adults to recognize and respond to student distress. Teachers, coaches, counselors, administrators, and other school staff should learn how to identify warning signs, check in with students, listen without judgment, and make supportive referrals. Students also asked teachers to encourage rather than shame students and to understand how workload, stress, and mental health affect motivation and classroom performance.
• Reduce avoidable academic stress and create a healthier balance between achievement and well-being. Recommendations included reducing excessive homework, coordinating workloads and deadlines, lowering unnecessary grading pressure, offering more tutoring and one-on-one academic help, and giving students time during the school day to complete work or decompress. Students also suggested exploring mental health days, wellness breaks, and free periods that could prevent burnout rather than waiting until students are in crisis.
• Teach coping skills and promote everyday wellness. Students recommended mental health education, social-emotional learning, stress-management strategies, mindfulness, physical activity, healthy sleep and eating habits, supportive relationships, and healthier approaches to screen and social-media use. Art, music, sports, games, and opportunities to connect with friends were also described as practical ways to reduce stress and support emotional regulation.
• Protect privacy and rebuild students’ trust in support systems. Students asked for clearer confidentiality practices, more private spaces, anonymous ways to request help, and stronger relationships with counselors and other adults. They emphasized that students are less likely to seek help when they fear judgment, do not trust that information will remain private, or feel that counseling offices are too formal, clinical, or difficult to enter.
• Strengthen coordination among schools, families, healthcare providers, and community organizations. Students identified ACPS Student Support Teams, the Teen Wellness Center, Hazel Health, the Alexandria Community Services Board, the Alexandria Health Department, Neighborhood Health, the ACPS FACE Center, RAISE, the Campagna Center, recreation centers, NAMI, Mental Health America, and other youth-serving organizations as potential partners. They recommended clearer referrals and connections between school-based, virtual, community, and crisis services so students do not have to navigate the system alone.
• Use youth feedback and data to continually improve services. Students recommended tracking participation, repeat attendance, awareness, referrals, and changes in well-being; conducting brief pre- and post-program surveys; and regularly asking students and families what is helping and what should change. Programs should be adapted based on students’ experiences rather than treated as successful simply because they exist.

Sources:

• Improving Student Access to School Counselors at ACHS by Sara Al Bahlani (2026)
• Increasing One-on-One Support by Melvin Argueta (2026)
• Lack of Student Motivation in School by Angie Alvarado (2026)
• Mental & Behavioral Health by Jimmy Lopez (2026)
• Mental Health & Access to Counselors by Gennessis Villegas-Osorio (2026)
• Mental Health & Emotional Wellness by Maryamawit.A (2026)
• Mental Health & How it Affects Students by Christian Ramirez (2026)
• Mental Health & Student Stress by Dagmawit Goshu (2026)
• Mental Health Awareness by Eliud Monge-Paz (2026)
• Mental Health Awareness by Katerin Lopez (2026)
• Mental Health by Culture by Valeria Galeano Del Cid (2026)
• Mental Health Support for Students at ACHS by Ahmad Ehsan Nazar (2026)
• Mental Health by Alexander Carreto (2026)
• Mental Health by Jakharri Roger (2026)
• Mental Health by Dua Sajjad (2026)
• Mental Health by Clifford Wobel (2026)
• More Mental Health Resources by Mayelin Lopez (2026)
• Physical, Mental, & Behavioral Health by Alyson Elvir (2026)
• School Related Stress by Rosselyn Gonzalez (2026)
• Student Mental Health & Wellness by Fatima Wonneh (2026)
• Student Mental Health in School by Estefany Ordonez (2026)
• Students' Mental Wellness & Academic Balance by Reina Pineda Flores (2026)
• Students Struggling with Mental Health & Depression by Yasin Bhuiyan (2026)
• Teen Mental Health by Narelie Jasmin Navarro Yanez (2026)
• Hispanic Youth Mental Health by Jason Osorto & Anthony Martinez (2025)
• Mental Health by Hannah Meeha, Olivia Powers, Shira Gordon, & Juliet Houck (2025)
• Access to Mental Health Care by Anthony Galo & Gabriel Lopez-Alberto (2025)
• Youth Behavioral Health by (2025)
• Youth Mental Health by Angelly & Madison (2025)
• Youth Mental Health by By Escobar Mateo Sherly (2025)
• Youth Mental Health by Axel Flores Garcia (2025)
• Youth Mental Health by Andres Quiro Gasantillan (2025)
• Youth Mental Health by George Byrd Conway & Christopher Diaz Portillo (see photo below) (2025)

ACHS Scholars’ Recommendations for Preventing and Responding to Youth Substance Use

Across the report cards, ACHS scholars recommended combining prevention, early intervention, treatment, positive alternatives, consistent school responses, and overdose preparedness rather than relying on punishment alone. Their recommendations included:

• Provide honest, ongoing substance-use education that clearly explains the health, academic, legal, and long-term consequences of vaping, marijuana, alcohol, opioids, and other drugs. Students recommended school presentations, awareness events, youth-created videos, clubs, online resources, and peer-to-peer messaging that makes information relevant and credible to young people.
• Expand early intervention and treatment within schools. Students called for trained substance-use counselors to be consistently available at each ACHS campus, with clear and reliable referral pathways to DCHS and other treatment providers—particularly for minors who may currently have difficulty accessing services.
• Create after-school counseling and rehabilitation programs in partnership with ACPS and DCHS. Students envisioned structured programs that combine counseling, mentoring, life-skills development, and continued academic support so young people can receive help without becoming disconnected from school.
• Offer positive alternatives to substance use through sports, recreation, clubs, mentoring, peer groups, and other structured after-school activities. Students emphasized helping young people redirect their energy, develop healthy coping strategies, connect with peers facing similar challenges, stay engaged academically, and build a more hopeful path toward graduation and adulthood.
• Address the reasons young people use substances, including stress, mental-health challenges, academic pressure, peer influence, boredom, easy access to drugs, and unstable home environments. Students recommended pairing prevention messages with mental-health support, empathy, trusted relationships, and practical coping skills rather than treating substance use only as misconduct.
• Create safe opportunities for students to talk about substance use without immediate shame or judgment. Students recommended environments where young people can speak honestly about drug-related problems, receive accurate information, see positive role models, and learn healthier ways to manage stress and other challenges.
• Strengthen overdose preparedness by training all school staff to administer Narcan. One report card recommended making the currently voluntary training mandatory, incorporating the approximately 30-minute course into existing professional development, and ensuring trained staff have ready access to Narcan across both ACHS campuses.
• Continue strengthening vaping prevention and response. Students recommended more visible education about vaping’s consequences, consistent follow-up when vape detectors are activated, and clearer responsibility for preventing vaping during the school day. They identified ACPS, school security, parents, the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria, and the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority as potential partners.
• Apply school policies consistently while connecting students to help. Some students supported stronger enforcement of drug and vaping rules, but another report card observed that consequences alone may simply push the behavior outside school and are not enough to help students stop. Together, their recommendations suggest pairing clear expectations with counseling, early intervention, and pathways back to academic success.
• Strengthen peer and intergenerational mentoring. Students proposed involving older students and seniors in advising younger peers, expanding existing youth programs for students affected by drugs or gangs, and creating clubs where students can build supportive relationships and encourage one another to make healthier choices.
• Coordinate responsibility across schools, families, healthcare providers, and the community. Students identified ACPS administrators and the School Board, DCHS, the Teen Wellness Center, Neighborhood Health, the Alexandria Health Department, SAPCA, parents, educators, health professionals, community organizations, and youth program staff as important partners in prevention, treatment, outreach, and emergency response.

Sources:

• Drug Addition and Gang Affiliation by Arielle Chavarry-Santana (2026)
• Youth Drug & Substance Abuse (2026)
• Drug-Free Schools by Alazar Aweke(2025)
• Student Vaping Prevention by Christian Orrell (2025)
• Student Vaping at School  by Victoria Patrick & Kaela Berkey (2025)
• Substance Use by Omar & Emerson (2025)
• Youth Substance Use by Jasmin & Vanessa (2025)
• Narcan Training & Accessibility by Wesley O’Connell, Millie Barrientos, Randy Alverz (2025)

ACHS Scholars’ Recommendations for Environmental Protection & Healthy Natural Spaces

The two report cards focused primarily on water pollution, litter, stormwater runoff, and the safety of local parks and streams, rather than on climate change broadly. Scholars recommended:

• Organize more frequent community cleanups at Four Mile Run and Cameron Run Park, potentially through a dedicated group that regularly removes litter and monitors conditions.
• Install more trash cans and clearer signs in parks and along waterways so visitors can dispose of waste easily and understand how litter harms water quality, wildlife, and community health.
• Strengthen enforcement of anti-littering rules. Both students supported clearer consequences for littering, including stronger enforcement and potentially higher fines, because they viewed visitor behavior as a significant source of pollution.
• Continue and expand public education and awareness campaigns that encourage residents to treat parks and streams as shared community resources and clean up after themselves.
• Improve stormwater and runoff management so bacteria, chemicals, sediment, and trash are less likely to enter local waterways. Students highlighted water-quality testing, stormwater programs, habitat restoration, dredging, and sediment removal as important strategies.
• Monitor environmental conditions and publicly report progress. The City and environmental partners should track litter removal, water quality, bacteria levels, and the overall condition of streams and parks so residents can see whether efforts are making a difference.
• Protect wildlife and safe recreation. Students emphasized removing sharp objects and toxic waste, improving water quality, and preventing animals from ingesting trash or losing habitat.
• Coordinate efforts among City agencies and community organizations, including the City government, Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, stormwater and environmental staff, and the Four Mile Run Conservatory or Conservancy.

Sources:

• Four Mile Run Pollution Control by Jeremy Sosa Alvarenga (2026)
• Pollution in Cameron Run Park by Tanya Ventura-Flores (2026)

ACHS Scholars’ Recommendations for Improving Transportation & Mobility

The report card in this theme focused specifically on potholes and roadway safety, rather than the broader range of public transit, pedestrian, bicycle, or school transportation needs. Its recommendations included:

• Inspect roads more frequently. Rather than relying primarily on seasonal checks, the student recommended conducting monthly inspections so potholes can be found and repaired before they become larger safety hazards.
• Maintain a simple public reporting system. The City should continue using Alex311 to allow residents to report potholes, upload photographs, and receive an estimated repair timeline. The student viewed public reporting as an important way for residents to help identify roadway problems quickly.
• Use proactive technology alongside resident reports. Cameras, sensors, and other roadway-monitoring tools could help the City identify deteriorating conditions without waiting for someone to submit a complaint.
• Repair potholes promptly and throughout the year. Transportation and Environmental Services should use inspection and reporting data to prioritize repairs, reduce vehicle damage, and create safer roads for young people, families, drivers, cyclists, and other community members.

Source: Potholes by Raymundo Lorenzana (2026)