My students come from a middle school in Brooklyn, New York, where 25% are English language learners and 80% of them receive free lunch. In addition, 25% of my students have disabilities that impact their learning. The majority of our students come to us below grade level in math and English language arts. Throughout my six classes, I teach honors students, language learners, and special educations students in an ICT setting. Regardless of their academic success, students cannot be expected to learn at their full potential when so many do not have enough food to eat, reliable shelter, and supportive relationships with the adults in their lives.
Despite the diverse backgrounds of my students, they come to school eager to solve real-world problems.
As they emerge themselves in these problem-solving tasks, they sometimes hit a wall based on available resources. In Brooklyn, there are slim to no lacrosse programs. Whether you look within public schools or community programs. There are very few opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to get involved with this certain programs.
My Project
Growing up on Long Island, I never realized that lacrosse was not a sport that was played everywhere. When I tell my students I went to college nearly for free because of lacrosse their draws drop, but than the questions start. What's lacrosse? Can we play? How do we play?
Lacrosse has not fully made its way into diverse communities especially diverse communities of young women.
Sports teach students a variety of skills- time management, team work, communication, hard work, and the list goes on. Playing a sport and being an athlete helps make you a more well rounded individual who fights through every situation. Lacrosse has the ability to empower diverse young women, and I want to make that happen for my students.
Our public school has 100% free lunch and therefore our students cannot buy equipment that sometimes can cost $200 just for a stick. That being said, we need basic lacrosse gear for a set of thirty kids. With this equipment, we will be able to teach the girls basic skills. Hopefully we will have enough girls to hold intramural scrimmages. Therefore, we are asking for lacrosse starter kits that include a stick, goggles, and a stick bag. In addition, we will need cones and pop up nets since we do not have a field at our school. This equipment will be used in the gym or in a local park. Hopefully the start of our program will inspire other schools to bring this sport into the community.
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