From the Classroom to Capitol Hill: Students Step into Leadership

By Josh Worden

In 2025, ACSI set a new milestone by hosting a Student Track at the annual ACSI Public Policy and Advocacy (PPA) Summit in Washington, D.C., nine students from across the country came to the nation's capital to meet with state representatives and learn about advocacy from policy experts.

The 2026 Summit will expand the opportunities for student leaders to engage in advocacy. ACSI Vice President of Educational Resources & Student Programs Emily Pigott looks forward to the event.

“Last year’s student track was incredibly encouraging,” she said. “Students asked thoughtful questions and demonstrated a real desire to lead with conviction and wisdom.”

At the 2026 Summit, students will not only learn about the role of public policy but also gain a clearer understanding of how advocacy works, how to communicate their convictions with grace, and how to engage with important cultural issues from a distinctly Christian worldview.

One of Pigott’s goals is for students to recognize that their voice matters.

"We want them to see that engaging culture, including the public square, is part of living faithfully as followers of Christ,” she said. “When young leaders understand how their biblical convictions intersect with real-world challenges, they are far more prepared to lead with courage, wisdom, and hope.”

Students from the 2025 Summit spoke highly of their experience in the inaugural Student Track.

“I decided to come because I saw it as a good opportunity to develop my leadership skills as a Christian,” said Yohana, a 12^th grader at Mountain Mission School in Virginia. “Especially as Christians, we should be able to advocate for what we believe against controversial topics that can face us when we get older.”

“We need to be able to advocate for what we believe in. Otherwise, no one else will,” added Konnor, a 12th grader at Central Christian School (CCS) in Kansas.

The educators who brought students witnessed the students learn what advocacy efforts can look like.

“I think it's always good to take students out of their context and see that the world is far bigger than their community,” said Lisa Kleinmann , Head of School at Southwest Florida Christian Academy.

When Dr. John Walker, Superintendent of Schools at CCS, found out that ACSI was launching the Student Track, he immediately spoke with the school’s government history teacher.

“I said, ‘What if you and I take two students to Washington, D.C. and then you can see what I've been doing the last three or four years in advocating for things like school choice and religious liberties?’” Walker shared .

Once they arrived in Washington, D.C., walking alongside his students at the memorials and praying at the Supreme Court left an impression on Walker.

“It's not just an idea for them anymore,” he said. “Our students raise the money themselves to be able to come on this trip. They get to see it, they get to feel it, they get to discuss it and so I think it's been a blessing to them as it has been to us.”

To learn more about the Student Track at this year’s PPA Summit, visit the website and register here.