Gun Violence / Youth Justice /

BOLT: Public Neighborhood Schools as Engines of Youth Power

June 9, 2026

The Stoneleigh Foundation hosted a virtual conversation with BOLT (Build Our Lives Together) about public neighborhood schools as engines of youth power and sites for youth-led systems change.

BOLT shared how it partners with public high schools in the School District of Philadelphia to build a sustainable, scalable model for youth leadership that is rooted in students’ lived experiences, school communities, and neighborhood realities. The conversation will explore what it takes to move beyond youth participation toward real youth power, where students are supported to identify issues, lead their peers, influence decisions, and organize for transformative change.

SPEAKERS

Hillary Do
Founder & Executive Director
BOLT

Jude Husein
Deputy Executive Director
BOLT

Horace Ryans
Youth Program Educator
BOLT

Ashley Tellez
Youth Program Intern (BOLT Alumni)
BOLT

Related Fellows

Danielle Sered, MA, MF… Stoneleigh Fellow

Jody Kent Lavy, MA Stoneleigh Fellow

Who We Are

The Stoneleigh Foundation was founded in 2006 by John and Chara Haas to improve the life outcomes of our community's youth. We meet our mission by awarding Fellowships to exceptional leaders who advance change in the systems that serve these young people.

Our Priorities

We seek to improve the life outcomes of our community’s youth by advancing change in the systems that serve them. Because we believe that youth are best served when systems work together to holistically address their needs, Stoneleigh prioritizes work designed to strengthen coordination between or among these systems.

Our Projects

We award two types of projects that catalyze change within, alongside, and outside of youth-serving systems. Our Fellowship Projects enhance how systems work together, improve practice, shift narratives, and generate new knowledge through action-oriented research. Our Youth Partnership Projects support youth-centric organizations that build the leadership and advocacy skills of young people.

Advancing The Field

We are pragmatic and have a bias toward action. We advance the field by hosting public events, publishing policy-relevant research and reports, and elevating the work of our Fellows and grantees in the media.

Apply

We award two types of Fellowships to exceptional individuals who work within and alongside youth-serving systems to catalyze change. Our Fellows undertake projects that enhance how systems work together, improve practice, and generate new knowledge through action-oriented research.