WASHINGTON, DC — Schuylerville High School rising senior Eleanor Hughes spent a week in Washington, D.C. this summer, learning from political activists and participating in lectures, debates, and seminars as part of the American Civil Liberties Union’s annual Summer Advocacy Institute.
Hughes is involved with the Mock Trial team at Schuylerville, and said she discovered the Summer Advocacy Institute after searching for a legal advocacy program to participate in over the summer.
“I actually read other interviews of candidates who had gone through the program, and it just seemed like an experience that would be very valuable to me, and also different from anything I’ve done before,” said Hughes.
Hughes filled out an application, including several short answer essay questions and a letter of recommendation, which she received from Schuylerville teacher David Conneally, who is an advisor for the school’s Mock Trial team.
Then, along with roughly 200 other students, Hughes spent the week of June 30 to July 6 at the Summer Advocacy Institute, staying in a hotel in Washington. Students were separated into homerooms, and participated in a variety of electives and seminars.
“For instance, I went to an elective on knowing your rights in dealing with protests, and attending a protest, what you can do to make sure that you’re safe and that your friends are safe,” Hughes said. “Some of them were more of a lecture format, as in you could sit and take notes. Some of them were more interactive. You would sit in a circle and discuss a topic back and forth.”
The students also attended a rally for transgender rights at the U.S. Capitol on July 5, which Hughes said was “very powerful.”
“‘Not in our name and not on our watch,’ was the thing that we chanted, and I felt that was very powerful,” said Hughes.
Hughes, who will begin her senior year at Schuylerville in the fall, said she is specifically interested in climate justice, and noted the Summer Advocacy Institute offered a chance to connect with others who feel the same.
“Ensuring that the societal differences that are exacerbated by climate change are fixed,” Hughes explained. “It’s kind of a niche subject when I talk to other people in advocacy. So it was really exciting to go to this program, and I immediately met other people who are interested in climate justice.”
Hughes said that the experience was ultimately “incredibly valuable,” and said she has remained in touch with several friends she made during the experience.
“I think that one of the things I took away is that if you go into something expecting to learn something, you will learn something,” said Hughes. “I think just coming at it from a perspective of being willing to learn and listen was the biggest takeaway.”
She also said it was valuable to be exposed to a variety of experiences and perspectives, with her fellow attendees hailing from across the United States.
“I would say that going to the Institute felt somewhat like a college experience, in that I was interacting with people from all over the country,” Hughes said. “They all had different perspectives from me, and they all were coming from a place where they were ready to learn and listen, and so was I.”
