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Event gives Mesa students a chance to advocate for their own policy on cellphones in schools

Mesa Public Schools
Mariana Dale/KJZZ
Mesa Public Schools is the largest district in the state.

Mesa Public Schools students will use research, analysis and problem-solving skills to tackle issues affecting the education industry at an event called Hacktivate on Friday.

The event empowers students to address pressing safety concerns in schools. This year, they’ll be focused on cellphone use.

Students will be asked if Mesa Public Schools should keep the current policy, which prohibits students from using phones during class, or adopt a new policy. Then they’ll be asked to consider the impacts of cellphones on student well-being, learning and campus culture.

The teams will present their findings to the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board at a study session on Dec. 10.

Many districts have banned cellphones in recent years in an effort to reduce bullying at school and improve academic outcomes.

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Senior field correspondent Bridget Dowd has a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.