Question

sbac practice 3: youth activism and community change
name: ellen r
period: 2
source: adapted news feature, “youth activism and community change in phoenix”
in many cities across the country, teenagers are taking a more active role in shaping their communities. when a series of summer heat waves hit phoenix, a group of high school students began distributing cold water and sunscreen to unhoused residents. what started as a small volunteer effort quickly grew into a student - run initiative called “heat help,” supported by local businesses and neighborhood groups.
sixteen - year - old organizer maya lopez said the most surprising part was how many adults were willing to follow the students’ lead. “people think activism is only about protests,” she explained, “but sometimes it’s just about noticing a problem and deciding you’re the one who can fix it.”
city officials also took note. after several months of consistent student outreach, the phoenix city council voted to provide micro - grants for youth - led community safety projects. one council member noted that the students’ dedication “pushed the city to act sooner than we might have on our own.”
for lopez and her team, the success of heat help has confirmed something they already believed: young people can create meaningful change when they are given the space—and confidence—to try.
question 1: main idea
what is the central idea of this passage?
a. teenagers often volunteer but rarely gain support from adults.
b. youth activism in phoenix led to real community improvements and city action.
c. city officials created heat help to address rising temperatures.
d. the phoenix city council relies heavily on high school volunteers.
question 2: vocabulary in context
in paragraph 1, the word “initiative” most nearly means:
a. a disagreement
b. a long - term failure
c. a program or project
d. a political campaign
short written response (2–3 sentences)
explain how the author shows that youth activism can lead to meaningful community change. use at least one piece of evidence from the passage.
answer the question:
the article youth activism and community change show that young students can lead to meaningful community change by forming a group of people who believe and want to change this situation in their community they take any step they can by protesting handing out free supports to people, to help people keep safe from heat waves.
support with evidence:
in the article it stores, “but sometimes its just about noticing a problem and deciding youre the one who can fix it”.

Explanation:

For Question 1, the passage details how high - school students' "Heat Help" initiative (a form of youth activism) led to community improvements (distributing supplies) and city action (Phoenix City Council providing micro - grants). Option A is incorrect as the passage shows adults supported the students. Option C is wrong because the students created "Heat Help", not city officials. Option D is an over - statement as there's no indication the council "relies heavily" on volunteers.
For Question 2, in the context of "Heat Help" being a student - run initiative supported by local businesses and neighborhood groups, "initiative" means a program or project. A disagreement (A) and long - term failure (B) don't fit the positive growth described. A political campaign (D) is too narrow as it's a community - based effort.

For the short - written response, the author shows youth activism leads to meaningful change by presenting the "Heat Help" initiative. It started as a small volunteer effort and grew. Evidence like the Phoenix City Council providing micro - grants ($$After several months of consistent student outreach, the Phoenix City Council voted to provide micro - grants for youth - led community safety projects$$) shows city - level recognition and support as a result of youth action.

Answer:

Question 1: B. Youth activism in Phoenix led to real community improvements and city action.
Question 2: C. A program or project
Short - written response: The author uses the “Heat Help” initiative. It grew from a small volunteer effort. Evidence: The Phoenix City Council provided micro - grants (as shown in “After several months of consistent student outreach, the Phoenix City Council voted to provide micro - grants for youth - led community safety projects”). This shows city action due to youth activism.