2025-26 Student Advisory Council Application is Open!
Welcome! The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is now accepting applications for the 2025-26 Student Advisory Council (SAC). The ISBE SAC provides students with an opportunity to build advocacy and leadership skills and lend their voices to policy development and important issues in education. The SAC meets with stakeholders, policymakers, and community partners virtually and in-person each month to examine research, brainstorm new ideas, and develop policy recommendations to present to the Board from a student perspective.
Who we are and what we do
The ISBE SAC, which was established in 1975, represents a diverse group of young leaders from across the state. Each year, members of the SAC members identify and research important topics and issues and impacting Illinois public school students.
The SAC provides students with an opportunity to build advocacy and leadership skills and lend their voices to policy development and important issues in education. The SAC meets with stakeholders, policymakers, and community partners virtually and in-person, multiple times each month to examine current research, brainstorm new ideas and develop policy recommendations to present to the State Board of Education from a student perspective.
During the school year, SAC members and collaborate with internal and external ISBE stakeholders to provide the Board of Education and local school leaders with recommendations and ideas on how to improve school learning environments and academic outcomes from a student perspective. SAC members are passionate about student advocacy and creating impactful change through educational legislation, policies, and rules.
2025-26 Student Advisory Council Application is Open!
2025-26 Student Advisory Council Application
Eligibility
If you will be a sophomore, junior, or senior attending a charter or public high school in Illinois during the 2025-26 academic school year and are interested in becoming a member of the ISBE SAC, you must create a Submittable account using a personal or non-school email address to apply. Students who were SAC members during the 2024-25 school year are returning members, and as such they are only required to submit an application to confirm their continued participation in SAC. Returning members
do not have to complete the interview process for the 2025-26 school year.
Application
To be considered for a seat on the ISBE SAC, you must submit a complete application by
11:59 p.m. on Monday, June 30, 2025. The
Submittable application includes personal and demographic information, essay questions, and written parent/guardian consent if you are under 18.
Video Interview Process
Finalists will be contacted via email at the end of July/beginning of August to complete a video interview submission for the final selection process. Students who are offered an opportunity to serve on the ISBE SAC will be notified and will be required to confirm their acceptance and participation in the program via email. New and returning members of the ISBE SAC will be announced on the
Student Voices webpage.
Questions and Information
Additional information may be found on the
Student Voices webpage. Questions may be emailed to
ISBESAC@isbe.net.
