Written by: Lamont Harrell, Junior Summer Youth Organizing Academy Participant

Hi my name Lamont Harrell and I'm in Junior SYOA . I was in SYOA last year but I decided to come back for 3 reasons. Reason 1: I wanted to learn more about campaigns and I like to organize. Reason 2: I've haven't been to the BRU office in a while and I wanted to catch up with friends and I was bored and I wanted to keep active with the organization. Reason 3: I really wanted to do it so I could meet some new people. So those are the reasons that I came back to Junior SYOA.

I have learned about Senate Bill 1317 and how Senator MARK LENO is trying to make a law that would give k-8 grade parents a $2,000 ticket if their child misses 10 percent of the school year. The policy is only in San Francisco but he's trying to make it state wide. I've learned how to organize better when we go on the buses to tell people about SB 1317. We're trying to get as much people as we can so we can protest so we can stop this policy. I want to stop this policy for 2 reasons. One, because I have a little brother in first grade and it's going to affect him. And two, it's just ridiculous. That's what I've learned in Jr.SYOA.