Protecting Human Rights Through Teaching About Democracy
My students need multiple copies of 12 books covering a variety of human rights and genocide related topics for a course on human rights, genocide, and democracy.
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
Imagine being able to create tomorrow's leaders by teaching about the past in order to bring positive change to urban communities. By teaching about human rights and the importance of democracy, students are being empowered to be the next leaders to create a better world.
My students are all students re-entering high school for a second chance at earning their high school diploma.
Most are English-Language Learners and all are "at-risk." For all of them, academic and social challenges prevented them from being successful at their past schools. These students have chosen to not only return to school but remain in class after the regular school day to take an extra course focusing on human rights, genocide, and the importance of democracy. I am amazed by how excited they are to learn each day and how hard they work to really understand and consider the issues involved. As we continue with our class, they have begun to be more aware and involved in educating others about human rights issues and a person's role in being an activist on any level. These are students who nobody thought could be taught or could graduate and already they are proving disbelievers wrong. It has been truly inspirational to see them make such positive changes in their lives
My Project
I am requesting a variety of books focusing on various instances of genocide. Students taking my course are required to research a specific genocide or human rights issue and create their own educational outreach project aiming at teaching others in their community about the importance of the individual's voice. These materials would greatly supplement what we have as a school. As a small school, we do not have a library and the books that the students use for this course come from my own personal library that I have built over the years. The books being requested would be part of a permanent collection of books for students to have access to. From these materials, all students would have the opportunity to learn about history as well as improve their reading skills. Students will also be exposed to moments in time that are often not discussed and be encouraged to consider the importance of the individual's role in preserving both human rights and democracy.
This project is important because without help these books will not be able to reach my students.
These books would help in encouraging students to take an interest in the world around them and expose them to experiences different from their own. All materials would continuously be used since students work mostly through an on-site independent study program which has a social justice focus and encourage our students to take these lessons back to their communities to create positive change.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Sandoval and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
