(WXIA) -- State School Superintendent Richard Woods has named the 64 young Georgians who make up his 2015 Student Advisory Council.

The council is composed of middle and high school students who meet periodically throughout the school year to discuss the impact of state politics in the classroom.

More than 1,000 students statewide applied to join the council. The members were chosen on a series of essays that focused on public education.

"It is essential, as we work to develop child-focused, classroom-centered policies, to hear directly from students," Woods said. "These students feel the impact of our decisions every day and, if we're going to improve their educational experience, we have to bring them to the table."

The Student Advisory Council will meet Feb. 27, Mar. 11 and Apr. 28 at the Georgia Department of Education office in Atlanta.

Several members are from metro Atlanta, including:

MARIETTA, Ga -- Weather-related issues plagued three Cobb County Schools today who had to start the day without electricity.

"It was pitch black when we came in (school) and we had to go into the gym to wait until they got the electricity working, but it wouldn't work," said Gaven Allen, a first grader at Mountain View Elementary.

The district bused about 800 Mountain View Elementary students to Lassiter High School's Concert Hall.

A Georgia Power spokeman says a tree fell on power lines in the East Cobb community, stripping power to about 2600 customers, including the schools.

School officials gave parents the option of picking up kids and Heather Carman decided to get hers.

"They were worried about there was no food and no heat," said Carman, mother of a fourth grader and a first grader.

By the time the Mountain View buses arrived at Lassiter, the power returned to Mountain View.

MARIETTA, Ga. -- On Dec. 18, some 280 students at The Walker School -- in grades 1 through 5 -- will participate in a “Day of Giving” in support of five local nonprofit organizations (Powers Ferry Elementary School, Books for Africa, The Hope Center, Meals on Wheels, and the AFLAC Cancer Center at CHOA).

As a part of its overall goal of building a well-rounded educational experience, the Cobb independent school encourages and provides opportunities for students to be active student-led in community service projects.     

Representatives from the organizations will gather with the Lower School community at 12:45 p.m. to receive the donations and share the impact that students' work has on their organization and people in need.      

The projects serve other young people, new moms, and others in need: