Students inspiring students

What a week! We've had some very successful and inspiring showcases of student work recently.

1) Now that AP Testing is over, my seniors developed and presented College Knowledge assemblies for the underclassmen at our school. They reminded students about college admissions requirements, spoke about the colleges they would be attending this fall, as well as the incredible financial aid packages they had been awarded. The underclassmen were amazed and supportive of all that the seniors had accomplished, and have since begun to see them as sources of valuable advice, approaching them with questions about college. Developing a college-going culture is an ongoing process, and this was a step in the right direction!!

2) Our seniors presented their Service Learning Projects to the rest of the school today, and man, were they amazing. I watched as they became experts on issues related to poverty, and spoke eloquently and passionately about homelessness, personal debt, substance abuse, and education, among other issues. One group of students put on an art show, in which they displayed and sold their artwork and donated the proceeds to a women's shelter. Another group of students created a CD of original music about economic inequality and personal debt, which they then sold in order to donate money to a local organization serving low-income individuals. They spoke with great pride about the service they provided to the community, expressing how much they grew and learned from the process.To watch my students speak with so much confidence and authority reminded me of exactly how amazing they can be.

3) The freshmen were equally remarkable and inspiring, presenting theater pieces, artwork, and writing that openly spoke about their realities and the challenges in their personal lives and surrounding communities. Rather than leave viewers feeling depressed or hopeless, they managed to convey messages of hope, self-determination, and collective empowerment.

As I drove home, I thought about educational experiences of my students and compared it to my own schooling. Much of my learning took place within the walls of a classroom and the pages of books. Although I was encouraged to "give back to the community," it was rare to be assigned a task that required me apply my skills and knowledge to actually help my community. Our students are learning that they are part of a community, that they are responsible for one another. They have a level of social awareness and sense of collective responsibility that I didn't develop till college. I'm so proud of my school for the awesome work that it does!