Proposal Title
Empowering Elementary School Students to be Social Activists
Abstract
Empowering Elementary School Students to be Social Activists
Anyone can be a superhero, was the statement spoken by a first grade student in my inner city bilingual education classroom this past fall. The classroom filled two months into school with new students from Puerto Rico after their homes were destroyed by a tragic hurricane. The students felt impacted by this, and decided to present the idea of collecting food and materials for families in need. The majority of the students in my classroom are homeless or living with extended family, yet they believed they could make a positive difference in the lives of those affected. This workshop will include ideas for social activism in the community, how to teach our children to be social activists, and what social injustice looks like in public schools today. “Children can help. In a world of diversity and disparity, children are a unifying force capable of bringing people to common ethical grounds”(Machel, Graca 1996). The ideas of social activism in elementary school will be conveyed through visuals, videos, work samples, and hands-on activities that aspiring teachers will be able to utilize in their classrooms. Children who feel as though they have nothing become empowered when they are able to come up with ideas, formulate plans together, and actively make changes in their communities. All who are interested in the topic of social activism in elementary school are welcome.
Start Date
28-3-2018 4:10 PM
End Date
28-3-2018 5:00 PM
Presentation Type
Workshop
Disciplines
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Disability and Equity in Education | Educational Leadership | Elementary Education | Gender Equity in Education
Full Text of Presentation
wf_no
Empowering Elementary School Students to be Social Activists
U-Hall 3-092
Empowering Elementary School Students to be Social Activists
Anyone can be a superhero, was the statement spoken by a first grade student in my inner city bilingual education classroom this past fall. The classroom filled two months into school with new students from Puerto Rico after their homes were destroyed by a tragic hurricane. The students felt impacted by this, and decided to present the idea of collecting food and materials for families in need. The majority of the students in my classroom are homeless or living with extended family, yet they believed they could make a positive difference in the lives of those affected. This workshop will include ideas for social activism in the community, how to teach our children to be social activists, and what social injustice looks like in public schools today. “Children can help. In a world of diversity and disparity, children are a unifying force capable of bringing people to common ethical grounds”(Machel, Graca 1996). The ideas of social activism in elementary school will be conveyed through visuals, videos, work samples, and hands-on activities that aspiring teachers will be able to utilize in their classrooms. Children who feel as though they have nothing become empowered when they are able to come up with ideas, formulate plans together, and actively make changes in their communities. All who are interested in the topic of social activism in elementary school are welcome.
