As a statewide movement of students, SEAT elevates youth voice on the frontlines of democracy and education justice. We break barriers for students to participate in decisions affecting us and our futures, whether this be arranging travel to the Capitol, connecting students with news reporters, or helping write speeches to school boards.

From ideation to implementation, we work directly with legislators to introduce student-authored bills like HB 1773 and HB 2469, present amendments to harmful legislation, and recognize student organizers with resolutions. Lawmakers often wear our signature SEAT lapel pins on the Texas House and Senate floors to recognize student voices and protest bills that would ultimately harm students.

Politics happens whether or not we are at the table. We cannot afford to sit idle. In April 2025, we convened 300+ students and advocates from across Texas to our third-annual Advocacy Day at the Capitol. Blending leadership development with real-world advocacy, we help students build relationships with lawmakers to demand a seat at the table.

Students' rights and agency is vital to shaping educational experiences more conducive to our learning and well-being. No one should dictate the narrative about us without us at the table. We seek to make decisions, not face their impacts. We wrote and passed legislation in the Texas House to get students on school boards, but now we need the Senate's support.

Amid unprecedented censorship and policies that further marginalize vulnerable students, our local organizing is replicable statewide. We are building a social movement with digital organizing and student-centered media. SEAT organizers have written op-eds and been featured in 600+ unique media publications since its founding.

We aim to construct meaningful and positive change, but not all legislation will build up our communities. Sometimes we have to fight bad bills, and we testified and organized against bills like SB 1515, which mandated the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. This bill did not pass, and we successfully killed other bad bills like SB 1072 and HB 1507.

SEAT is a peer mentor network of young people learning advocacy and communications skills, transferable to any professional field. SEAT organizers initiate and lead the way on a wide range of issues affecting young people in the context of education and school.

The narrative is ours to write. We must join the frontlines and engage in decisions where they are made. SEAT is continuing to organize in the state legislature and in school districts statewide. Please follow us on socials, join our mailing list, and check out the Get Involved page to learn how you can be part of our transformative movement.