November 11, 2026 | 2 PM – 3 PM CST

Today’s students don’t need more civic knowledge, they need the chance to practice democracy. This session brings together national leaders to explore how schools, nonprofits, and communities are partnering with young people, not just preparing them, to take on real civic challenges through service-learning. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for turning students into civic problem-solvers now, not someday.

Meet the speakers:

Manha Baqai, nylc Youth Advisory Council

Manha Baqai is a sophomore at Troy High School in Fullerton, California. Passionate about law, civic engagement, and youth advocacy, Manha is actively involved in student leadership as her class’s Sophomore Vice President. She is deeply committed to empowering underrepresented voices, particularly young women, and works to create inclusive spaces within her school and community. Beyond campus, Manha teaches debate to middle school students, serves as a judge in Teen Peer Court through the Constitutional Rights Foundation, and contributes to various community and political campaigns . In her free time, you can find her playing with her cat Mufasa, going out with friends, and spending time with family. Through nylc’s YAC, she hopes to educate new youth, advocate for equitable opportunities, and drive meaningful change on both a local and national level.

Noorya Hayaat, CIRCLE

Noorya Hayat is a Senior Researcher with the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE). She works on projects that help promote civic learning and engagement in the K-12 education system and beyond, and she is interested in the intersection of education, both in formal and informal settings, and civic learning and awareness in youth, particularly from marginalized and diverse ethnic backgrounds. Noorya has experience working in the U.S. and abroad in teaching and educational research. Before joining CIRCLE, Noorya worked as an international researcher and coordinator in public health and nutrition awareness in the developing world. She has experience teaching and mentoring students from diverse backgrounds and grade levels, and worked as an early childhood educator in Boston.
She holds an Ed.M. in international education policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a focus towards global education and citizenship for the 21st century, monitoring and evaluation for improving education systems, and applied data analysis. She also has a background in economics and anthropology. Noorya is passionately interested in narrowing gaps in civic education, awareness, and life-opportunities for underresourced communities by providing evidence-backed research for decision-making and policies.

Andrew Wilkes, Generation Citizen

Andrew Wilkes serves as Generation Citizen’s Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer, where he leads GC’s thought leadership, coalition building, and policy initiatives as a part of the national leadership team. Andrew comes to this role with nearly ten years of experience in public policy, advocacy, and community organizing, particularly among congregations and community-based organizations. Prior to joining GC in 2017, he served as the executive director of the Drum Major Institute, a social change organization founded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In that capacity, he executed public affairs events in Dallas, TX and Washington D.C. to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act; established the Beloved Community Initiative, a national resource on spirituality and social justice for faith communities; and relaunched the nationally renowned Marketplace of Ideas Forum – a forum for bringing policy ideas to an audience of changemakers, policy professionals, and nonprofit leaders.

This session will be facilitated by:

Allison Cerron, nylc Youth Advisory Council

Allison Cerron is a senior at Design Tech High School in California. As a proud Peruvian American born to immigrant parents, her upbringing and time spent living in Peru deeply rooted her connection to nature and sparked her passion for environmental justice and climate action. She is deeply interested in youth advocacy and the intersection of service learning and environmental equality.
At her school, Allison serves as the co-president of the Amnesty International Club, where she educates students on global issues and leads local community service initiatives. Dedicated to inclusion, she actively volunteers with local organizations, planning events and providing translation services to ensure minority voices and non-English speakers are empowered to participate. As a member of the Youth Advisory Council (YAC), Allison looks forward to using her creative communication skills to inspire positive social and environmental change on a national and global scale.

For questions, or to schedule a consultation, please contact us at [email protected].
This event will take place on Wednesday, November 11 at 2:00 PM CT via Zoom. You will receive the link to join the Zoom call closer to the date.