What sucks about high school?

We help students change their school, from gross lunch and broken bathrooms to schoolwide policy change.

We help students fix their school, from gross lunch to schoolwide policy change.

mission

You already know what's broken. We help you change it.

Gross lunch, a teacher who won't budge, a phone policy that makes no sense... you live with it every day. Most of it is fixable if you know who to ask, what to say, and when to say it.

That's what we teach. Everything we make is free, built with students, and aimed at one thing: your school, actually better by the time you leave it.

programs

Three ways to get started

Pick whichever one fits where you are right now.

Doorstop Sessions

1:1 Help Fixing School

We listen to what sucks, work through how to change it, and help every step of the way. Expect games, group discussion, and mentors who are there specifically to help you get things done.

  • 1:1 time with Doorstop mentors or group meetings with your school club/student council
  • 70 students in our pilot, on lunch, bathrooms, and teacher conflict
start a Sessionwhat happens in one
Doorstops

Step-By-Step Online Guides

Free step-by-step guides for one specific problem. Type in whatever sucks and we'll point you at the right one.

search Doorstops
Doorstop Fellows

Leadership Program for Students

Work with us to fix major problems at your school. You choose the problems, we provide step-by-step support & resources.

applylearn more

case studies

Student success stories

Real changes, step-by-step, and how students did it.

Schedule

Getting a schoolwide day off for a holiday

Max Z. got a scheduled day off to celebrate the Lunar New Year with one well-placed email.

read how →
Bathrooms

Getting the bathrooms repaired

A student got their school’s broken mirror and stall locks fixed in 3 weeks.

read how →
Lunch

Winning off-campus lunch for seniors

A student liaison at Hinsdale South High School in Illinois surveyed classmates and won off-campus lunch for seniors.

read how →
Mental health

Opening a calm room for stressed students

A senior at Scranton High School in Pennsylvania turned an old office into a calm room where stressed students can take a 10-minute break.

read how →
see all case studies

about

Who's behind this

Doorstop Education is a California nonprofit that helps students build self-advocacy and civics skills: not as a class, but by fixing something real at school. Want to talk? We read everything.

get in touch

built with help from 100s of students at Doorstop Education