Our community was once a small farm town, but is growing in size and diversity by the year. We have over 1,600 students in grades 10 through 12 alone. Our students are embracing that diversity and working with adults to embrace the change. Despite our positive growth, we still face challenges. Like many communities in the world, racial tension exists in and outside of our school and community.
Our students and educators are ready to continue the difficult conversations about equity and social justice.
We have many organizations already working on this from a Black Student Union to the Minority Student Achievement Network. We also have an active DECA group, fantastic theater program, many successful sports teams, and almost any club that students could imagine. We are seeking to unite all these groups around a common goal.
My Project
This project is our school's first all-school read of the book All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. We need your help in order to provide every student with a copy of this book and fund the visit of both authors.
Our slogan is open book, open mind, and open discussion.
While increasing the culture of literacy in our school, All American Boys also prompts readers to engage with relevant issues surrounding race that exist both in and outside of our community, from law enforcement practices to civic engagement. Through this fictional story, readers can question actions taken by characters, share perspectives, and even develop ways to strengthen our own community. This book is not our solution; rather, it is an important step in the direction of difficult conversations and real dialogue that build understanding of diverse experiences and perspectives. While all students and staff will receive a copy of the book, participation in the program is optional and not tied to any student grades.
This project will help with purchasing the books to ensure every student receives a copy. Then for a week in the spring, we will host events related to the book including panel-discussions, student-led discussions, documentary viewing, privilege walk, how to interrupt racism session, and a visit from the authors themselves! Thank you for your support of this important work in social justice and equity.
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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 Ms. J. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.