These students did not work with Doorstop Education, but they used the same methods we teach: gather evidence, build support, then take action.
Seniors at Hinsdale South High School in Darien, Illinois, kept telling Madeline LaPointe the same thing: they wanted to leave campus for lunch. LaPointe was the school’s student liaison to the school board, so in 2023 she turned the complaint into a proposal. Here’s how:
She gathered evidence. LaPointe surveyed students: 95% said they would go off campus for lunch if they were allowed, and 82% supported a behavior requirement to earn it. That second number mattered. It answered the board’s biggest worry before anyone could raise it.
She built consensus. Principal Patrick Hardy supported the idea, and other students spoke at several board meetings, keeping the discussion front and center to prevent change from being delayed and deprioritized.
She asked the school board, in writing. In September 2023, she put the request in her written report to the District 86 school board, which was published with the meeting agenda, and presented it at the meeting.
Policy approved! By the end of the 2023–24 school year, the district agreed to try off-campus lunch for seniors. In September 2024, the next student liaison, Uyen Millon, reported back to the board: 150 students had taken part that week, and the number was growing.
Want to try it? Start with a survey (you can run one free on our site), then send the numbers to your principal with an email like this:
- To
- [your principal's email]
- Subject
- Off-campus lunch for seniors: survey results
Hi Mr./Ms./Dr. [Principal's last name],
I surveyed [number] seniors about lunch: [percent]% said they would go off campus if they were allowed, and [percent]% support a behavior requirement to earn it.
Would you be open to trying off-campus lunch for seniors next [semester]? I’m happy to meet in person to share the full results.
With hope and gratitude,
[Your name]