BELVIDERE, Ill. (WTVO) — Most of them cannot even vote yet, but some local students are still making their voices heard.

Belvidere North High School hosted a student-led forum for school board candidates. The school’s new “Student Voice Club” is a way for students to advocate for themselves.

“It’s student-led, and it’s never been done before,” said Riya Amin, Student Voice Club member.

Amin is a junior at Belvidere North and is part of the club where young people are making their voices heard.

“Student Voice Club is basically just an opportunity to give our voices within our school and policies, and just advocating for ourselves,” Amin said.

The organization worked quickly to put together a forum for District 100 School Board candidates after forming in February.

“We had great advisors who were willing to email us quickly, talk to us at school and set up meetings so we would just be able to get everything together so fast,” Amin said.

They worked to send out invitations to each candidate and spread the message on social media.

“First, we had to find a moderator to bring it all together, and we found a retired judge,” Amin said. “And, we also went with the League of Women Voters.”

The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization.

The questions were written by students. A survey was sent out to Belvidere and Belvidere North students for their input.

“It’s a really good way to advocate for not ourselves, but just our community in general, and having people who are willing to educate themselves and learn and make an efficient vote would be very successful not only for us, but them as well,” Amin said.

This is the Student Voice Club’s first event. Amin is hoping there is more to come in the future.

“I meet with the superintendent for student council, and that was the one thing I told her, is if we had a student board, that would just be amazing, and I hope that this club can help bring that idea to life,” Amin said.

The organization does not endorse any of the candidates. The forum is to inform the public on the candidates.