A major outcome of the community circles has been the successful effort of conducting study circles for Schenectady County high school and middle school students. Organizers and school Superintendents in the seven Schenectady County school districts determined that it was important for "Racism & Diversity" study circles to occur across district lines among students from different schools and backgrounds. Most recently, the topic of bullying has been introduced as a study circle topic as it relates to issues of racial and religious diversity and sexual orientation.

High School Study Circles: Every December (since 2000) high school students from the public schools in Schenectady County converge on the Union College campus for two days of study circles. More than 675 students from seven districts have participated in study circles to date. Since December 2004, students from Notre Dame Bishop Gibbons, Schenectady Christian School and home-schooled students are invited to participate, as well. In 2008 and 2009, high school students from the North Colonie School Districts joined their Schenectady County neighbors for the high school study circle program. Student study circles are led by student facilitators who have been participants in at least one previous study circle program and have had eight hours of facilitator training. The study circle discussions conclude with an "Action Forum" at the end of the second day when students from each school meet together to develop an action plan to carry out in their individual schools to improve race relations and to better understand diversity.

Middle School Study Circles: At the strong urging of high school study circle participants, the program was expanded to the middle school level in 2002. Nearly 550 middle school students from eleven middle schools representing the different public school districts in Schenectady County have participated in study circles using a modified curriculum developed by a committee of SCED members and middle school staff from participating schools. These study circles are led by adult facilitators (SCED volunteers) who also undergo special facilitator training. And, as in the high school program, at the conclusion of the discussion segment of the program, the participants from each school meet together to draw up a proposed action plan to take back to their schools.

Action Outcomes: These are a few of the actions students attending the 2010 study circles have planned to carry out when they return to their home schools:

• Van Antwerp in Niskayuna and the Martin Luther King Magnet School in the Schenectady City School District plan to hold a "Mix-It-Up Lunch" together and spend a day experiencing team building at Camp Chingachgook.
• The Burnt Hills Middle School plans to hold a Diversity Week at their school and later in the year partner with Mont Pleasant Middle School to visit Camp Chingachgook.
• In addition, Mont Pleasant Middel School will hold weekly lunch meetings to discuss bullying in their school environment and promote peace throughout their school climate.
• Oneida Middle School plans to hold a "Multicultural" night to experience foods and customs of the cultures represented in their student body.
• Burnt Hills and Schenectady High School plan to spend a day visiting each other's schools and explore how they are different and alike.
• Draper Middle School is forming an Anti-Bullying Club to discuss bullying situations and explore anti-bullying techniques, will hold a Mix-It-Up Lunch and a Mardi Gras Dance celebrating the cultural differences in their community.
• Duanesburg Middle School produced a series of videos to show to their student body on ways to address and combat bullying. In addition, they hope to invite an outside speaker to help students be more aware of bullying situations.

SCED Youth Programs Presented at National Conference: In October 2005, SCED was invited to attend the National Conference of the Study Circle Resource Center held in Northbrook, Illinois. Brian Wright, SCED Steering Committee member, Lesley Adewunmi, Niskayuna High School student and participant and facilitator in the SCED High School Study Circle program and Kay Ackerman, SCED Administrator were community presenters in the workshop, Students Speak Up and Take Action to Break Down Barriers. They shared organizational experiences and stories about the SCED youth programs. Many communities across the country have youth programs but few have programs that bring students together from all the county high (or middle) schools for study circles.