Superintendent Woods seeks 2026-2027 Student Advisory Council
By the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE)
“One of the most important parts of my job is listening to students,” Superintendent Woods said. “The Student Advisory Council allows me to hear directly from young people about their experiences, challenges, and ideas for the future of education in Georgia. These students serve as ambassadors for their schools and communities, and their perspectives help ensure student voices remain at the center of our work. I encourage eligible students from across Georgia to apply and share their unique viewpoints.”
Any Georgia student in grades 10-12 may fill out an application to be considered for the Student Advisory Council. The application includes short essay prompts that allow students to share their ideas for public education.
The Student Advisory Council will meet four times in person during the school year; meeting dates will be posted on the Student Advisory Council webpage.
“Participating in the State Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council was an incredible experience that I’m honored to have had,” 2025-2026 Student Advisory Council member Arabella Wunn said. “I learned to communicate clearly and concisely, and my eyes were opened to the varied walks of life I saw from all over Georgia. It was truly amazing to hear students’ voices, to have them respected, and to be put in a position to truly make a difference in my community.”
“Being on the State Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council meant sitting in the same room as students from all over Georgia with completely different backgrounds and upbringings,” 2025-2026 Student Advisory Council member Jared Castillo said. “I got to hear perspectives I never would have encountered back home, and that truly changed how I thought about the work. It also pushed me to give something back through SPARK, a digital literacy initiative I started as my service project, to help decisions made in the Capitol reach the places that need them most.”
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
The 2026-2027 Student Advisory Council application is available online. Student applicants must apply by September 4, 2026, at 5 p.m. Late applications will not be accepted.
Georgia students in grades 10-12 are eligible to apply.
Selected students will be contacted via email. All students may visit the Student Advisory Council webpage on October 2, 2026, at 10 a.m. to determine if they have been selected.
Please note that each year we typically receive hundreds more applications than we can accept. Not being selected for the Student Advisory Council does not mean the student’s application did not meet the qualifications.