My name is Jason, and I’m part of the Civic Engagement Team at Change.org. Our mission is to connect petition supporters with decision makers and to help foster healthy civic engagement in our communities.
For students and families fighting to keep Latinos in Action in Florida schools: your voices are being heard. In one Florida school district, a school board member publicly acknowledged both the value of the program and her commitment to pursue solutions:
“Latinos in Action has been a valuable program in Broward County Public Schools for many years. As a teacher I witnessed firsthand the amazing things that the students in the program would do. From mentoring, service learning, and leadership, Latinos in Action gave students incredible opportunities.
When we received the directive from the US Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to end the program, my heart sank. They are using the very office created to protect our students to harm them. When our district sent correspondence to the DOE with facts about the program, DOE chose to ignore those facts and continue to threaten additional harm in the form of cutting $30 million in funding for our students.
I am working with the Superintendent to explore all avenues to keep Latinos in Action in our schools whether that's in name or in spirit.
Thank you for taking the time to support Latinos in Action and for your advocacy for our community.” — Sarah Leonardi, Broward County School Board Member
Why share this? Because it shows what your petition can surface: allies inside the system who are listening and looking for paths forward. Constructive advocacy—clear stories of impact, respectful outreach, and persistent engagement—can help leaders identify options and keep a program’s mission alive, even when the path is difficult.
Staying engaged: Keep your messages focused on student outcomes, share concrete examples of how the program supports learning and belonging, and stay respectful in every interaction. When officials signal they’re exploring solutions, that’s a moment to keep showing up—so they have strong community backing as they work through the process.
We hope this update is helpful,
Jason and the Civic Engagement Team