hyphenated twentysomething

Learning with a mission

Here is an article I read today on CNN.com, regarding a school in Brooklyn, NY with a special focus and mission: Human Rights. Usually I hear about schools with special focuses on military, sports, or arts and drama, but I hadn't heard of one where social causes were at the root of the school's academic curriculum. Especially interesting is the fact that the school officials want the kids to "have a strong sense of justice and violence," said Jessamyn Waldman, who represents HREA, the school's lead partner, which helps organize its curriculum and activities. "What we don't want to do is make them more angry. What we want to do is empower them." How enlightening and wonderful!
By incorporating topics such as the death penalty, poverty, and genocide taking place in their local environments as well as nationally and internationally, the school is really trying to help students think about issues objectively and gain a better understanding of what is truly going around them and possibly what they can do to change that. In my opinion, I don't think the school is telling them what to think, or what their opinions should be, but rather how to think and providing a source of action, resource, and a touch of compassion and humanity to their normal classes. It is especially great that it is a small public school with a diverse population. I could only imagine what sort of discussions and dialogues result in such an environment. Now if only we could get something like that in Illinois!

posted by payal @ 12:37 PM