In 1903, Richard Welling, after many disappointments in his attempts at political reform, decided that reform must begin with developing citizens in the schools, and be based upon life long habits, rather than the periodical enthusiasm of presidential elections. He tells teachers assembled at the National Education Association in Boston that "students should share in the government of their own school."

The following year the National Self Government Committee was organized. Supporters of this idea included President Eliot of Harvard University, John Dewey, Lillian Wald, Julia Richman, and William McAndrew.

Richard Welling stressed that "the aim should be to get pupils into the attitude and habit of cooperating as young citizens, to help make them feel, 'This is our school, we're running it. If anything can be improved, it is up to us to change and make it right.' If students catch this spirit in school, it will be natural for them, when they get the vote, to feel, 'This is our town, our state and our federal government. We are not going to stand aloof. If we don't like it, let's get busy and change it!'.

During its early period, the Nation Self Government Committee worked with school superintendents, boards of education, teachers, teachers' colleges, and students, to stress these objectives. It became a nation-wide clearinghouse for materials and information.

Through the years, sponsorship of high school student conferences provided a direct link with student leaders, as well as a means for an interchange of ideas and personal growth. A new approach brought public, private, and parochial schools together.

Scholarship grants were also made for studies of self government in colleges, including Howard University, Brandeis University, and New York University School of Law. Through funding by the National Self Government Committee, an annual program was developed in New York City to involve student leaders in training conferences on a borough wide basis, followed by a two day conference of city wide representatives.

Since1977, the Committee has focused its resources to provide funds for student initiated projects in the New York City metropolitan area. The objective has been to stimulate school/community service programs that actively involve a large number of students in the self government process. A wide variety of projects have been funded in this program. They reflect student concerns with current problems; e.g., school attendance, elections and legislation, community services, student leadership workshops, school wide conferences on subjects as diverse as computer sciences, to the changing role of women in society. Personal reports to the Committee by students from some of the schools which received grants point up graphically the effectiveness of the projects and the enthusiasm of the students.

JOIN THE EFFORT !

The National Self Government Committee hopes to expand our program to accommodate a wider geographical selection of funded projects. Your contribution will help greatly towards this effort.

We are a non-profit organization whose contributions are entirely tax deductible.
Send contributions to:

National Self Government Committee
c/o Professor Rick Richardson
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Radio City Station
PO Box 135
New York, New York 10101-0135