Redesigning School Experience: ‘Dreamerz’ Student Researchers Lead the Way
Our education system needs leaders who undersAt the National Equity Project, we envision a future where every young person, in every community, has what they need to learn, contribute, and thrive in a dynamic, diverse, and interconnected world. We believe that systems can be redesigned with intention; that creating effective learning environments requires the meaningful participation of students themselves; and that transformative educational designs require informed processes that acknowledge the complexity of students' lives and needs.
This isn’t just an aspirational vision – we see examples of practices and processes that support this vision in schools and districts across the country. One example is the Dreamerz program at Cabrillo Middle School in Santa Clara Unified School District. Led by Cabrillo’s former Vice Principal Dr. Nicole Tafoya, Dreamerz is a leadership and personal growth group of eighth grade students. Together, they work on setting goals at home and school, improving grades, attendance or behavior, time management, and college and career planning. They research and collect data, and they have hard but real conversations on topics important to them.
"Many times when we start at the beginning of these groups, the common theme between all of the boys [is that] school isn't a place for me,” shares Dr. Tafoya. “I don't feel seen, I don't feel valued, I don't feel heard, and I don't feel like I belong.” With the support of NEP’s District Redesign Network, Dr. Tafoya deployed a liberatory design approach to addressing change in her school. Instead of designing solutions for her students, she facilitated a process where students designed and led their own research about their educational experience.
"We wanted to learn more," explains one student presenter. The students created survey questions, collected data from 43 eighth-grade peers, and analyzed results to identify key themes about student experiences at their school. "We had real conversations with our peers, and we wanted to see if they had the same or different struggles."
The Dreamerz research process helped students develop awareness of both their individual circumstances and the challenges they share with peers. “The most impactful part is probably just having to go out and ask people [about] the surveys,” reflects Michael Hodges, one of the Dreamerz program participants. "A lot of the answers on the survey were the same struggles that I had, like having to do a lot of homework and keeping up my grades.” This discovery of shared experiences helped break down barriers between students who might otherwise never connect with one another. "They could find these common similarities. It just really made them peers,” Dr. Tafoya explains.
Throughout the Dreamerz experience, participants grow to develop stronger relationships with both their peers and their school. "By the end of [the program], I always see so much growth in the students saying ‘I can do school. I know how to navigate it,’ Dr. Tafoya proudly shares. “I think it’s life changing for them.” When asked how many had improved their academic performance through participation in Dreamerz, nearly all students raised their hands. "We've seen improvement, huge attendance improvement for some of us,” Dr. Tafoya shares, elaborating on the students’ success. “We had a few of us who had all Fs, and [now] we have no Fs on some of those report cards."
By creating space for student voice, the Dreamerz program recognizes that the students themselves can offer unique insights into the design of more effective learning environments. “It's really powerful stuff and can frankly be somewhat scary to be a 13 year old and sharing with your teachers what surveys are saying about the student experience,” says Brad Stam, Chief Academic and Innovation Officer for Santa Clara Unified School District. “It's really an incredible example of centering student voice and supporting student leadership.”
Beyond immediate academic improvements, Dr. Tafoya's hopes for the program include fostering long-term development and agency. "My hopes for the boys in the Dreamerz group would be that they realize how powerful they are and how much they can change the world,” she shares. “Their futures are so bright, and they can do anything they want to do as long as they work hard at whatever it is, believe in themselves, and dream big.”
This transformation from feeling disconnected to recognizing their voice and power to create change is the ultimate goal of student-centered education—developing conditions where every young person can learn, contribute, and thrive. Now as Vice Principal of MacDonald High School, Dr. Tafoya has introduced the Dreamerz initiative to her current students, with plans to have the groups from both schools working together. “Yes, Dreamerz is still active and running,” she shares, speaking of her transition. “I’m really excited about the opportunities and what Dreamerz can be and do.”
