Educators Use Teens’ Stories To Start Vital Discussions About America
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Students have returned to school at a time of heated political and social controversies concerning race, immigration, gay rights, gender, and interpretations of American history.
Debates about what it means to be an American have rarely been so intense. Many educators are looking for ways to engage students in meaningful discussions about these vital but at times polarizing issues.
That’s where our writing program comes in.
For six weeks this summer, 17 teens from across New York City explored the question of what it means to be American. They researched the issues, talked to professional journalists on trips to news organizations, and wrote about their personal experiences.
In their stories, the teen writers confront tough topics such as the fear of deportation, battling internalized anti-Asian racism, making sense of Colin Kaepernick’s activism, and challenging female stereotypes in a Russian-American family.
Hundreds of educators will use these stories to engage thousands of young people in discussions about our country’s identity, its future, and their roles in shaping it. A Leader’s Guide will provide educators with discussion prompts, writing activities, and other lessons.
We at Youth Communication are grateful to the teens for creating these compelling resources and to the educators who use them with their youth.
Exciting tonlearn aboutt yoUr youth initiative. WoulD Like to find ways we can collaboratE and have some of yOur youth writers create short, 2.5 minute video stories AS PART OF A “Voices for Youth” project in collaboration with the Brookly district attorney’s Office of youtH initiatives, DIYdoc, and the hispanic information and telecommunications network (HITN). Check out http://wWw.diydoc.tV