This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
In the city of Newark, many westward students lived below the poverty line. Some can not even wear clean clothes to school. Our high school has installed a laundry room for students that were being teased and chastised because they were showing up to school in dirty school uniforms. Some of these students were becoming chronic absentees—missing three to five days of school per month—out of shame. We are a title I school. Do your students get free or reduced lunches. Describe the community a little as well.
One student did not want school staffers to check her bags because she was homeless and embarrassed she was carrying dirty clothes with her.
Other students could not afford to do their laundry, he told NJ.com.
The young people were being bullied to the extent that mean-spirited classmates posted photos of them in dirty collars or stained pants on social media, NJ.com writes.
“They were choosing to stay home rather than coming to school to be bullied or ridiculed,” Cook told NJ.com. Simply put, many of our students are deeply impoverished.
My Project
When the 2018 – 19 school year started, there were some new additions to our school's campus – a creative and charismatic educational leader, a laundromat and a Human Rights Club. Principal Akbar Cook took action in an effort to alleviate bullying and student harassment by installing free washers and dryers a new socio-emotional and compassionate school climate was birthed. This innovative view to urban education encouraged the start of the WS Human Rights Club.
The Human Rights Club at West Side was established to shine a light on human rights issues and violations across our local community, in our state and around the globe, while inspiring the next generation of activists to create a more just and peaceful world.
We would like to be the change we want to see.
The many acts of kindness sponsored and supported by the club in partnership with our Community Engagement Office to address Hunger and Homelessness in the West Ward of Newark – a neighborhood with one of the highest violent crime rates in the city.
A few our club activities included Bi – weekly Dunkin Donuts “Kindness Incentive Program” which covered our Donuts for Dads and Mom’s, UMDNJ Student can make a Difference project which donated stuffed animal to the Pediatric Oncology Department, Annual Thanksgiving Dinner and Holiday Turkey give away, Bi annual Community Red Cross Blood Drives and Blankets of Hope Newark Penn Station Homeless Project.
We have really been busy this year. As a result of all of the wonderful activities conducted by Human Rights Club and our school community, we received the Kean University International Human Rights Award. Thank you in advance for caring about the future of my students.
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