Each story in the “America’s Next Leaders 2016” special series features a young person who contributes to his or her community and has received a Sargent Shriver Youth Warriors Against Poverty Leadership Award. Each year, Marguerite Casey Foundation, which publishes Equal Voice News, honors young people with this award. 
The Chicago Equal Voice Network, which includes Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, nominated Kaleyah Wesley for the award. Here is a summary of her community contributions:
Kaleyah’s family became homeless in 2012. Around the same time, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless was developing its education committee, a group of parents, students and teachers fighting for the rights of homeless students in schools.
Kaleyah began attending these meetings with her mother and soon became one of the most active committee members.
Besides learning how to advocate for herself and her family to improve their situation, Kaleyah visited Springfield several times to lobby for an Illinois budget that she and other social justice advocates say would address family concerns.
She shared her personal story with legislators to encourage them to find support for homeless students and families. She also has testified before the Chicago Board of Education and was featured in a Chicago Sun-Times column about the needs of homeless students in Chicago Public Schools.
She is a member of the coalition-run Speakers’ Bureau and regularly goes back to the shelter where she once stayed, talking to women and children about their educational rights.