Changemaker Education: Whole Children, Whole Communities

Session 5

Matthew Voz, Dawn Brooks-Decosta, Heather Baron-Caudill, Daniel Baron, Valentina Raman — Youth Initiative High School, Thurgood Marshall Academy Lower School, The Project School, Ashoka Start Empathy

We live in a world of uncertainty defined by rapid change. While we do not know what tomorrow's problems will be, we know we will need everyone equipped to deal with them. Educators are uniquely positioned to empower students to be changemakers - able to collaborate, create, and act empathetically in ambiguous and changing environments. In this session, four school leaders from Ashoka Changemaker Schools will lead a dynamic discussion on how to empower youth to be agents of change in the world. Drawing on diverse experiences and approaches, panelists will discuss why prioritizing empathy in school curriculum and culture is critical to unlocking the potential of the whole child and uplifting whole communities. Participants will leave the conversation with: (1) Understanding of what it means to educate the WHOLE child, and a greater understanding of their own assumptions and beliefs; (2) Examples of how Changemaker schools are empowering students to exercise empathy and changemaking in their classrooms and communities; and (3) Tools and tips to bring back to their own schools, so they can join these schools in empowering whole children and whole communities.

Conversational Practice

The Final Word: Each school will do a brief (5 min) presentation answering the guiding conversational questions (listed in the “Short Description”), followed by a short Q&A (5 min). Next, we will do a text-based protocol (where the school leaders’ presentations are the "text") called the Final Word (50 min) in break-out circles of 6 people each, to give participants the space to dig deeper into the ideas presented and share their perspectives on the "text." In turn, each participant will have 3 minutes to present a quote or part of the text that resonated with them (or that they wish to challenge), followed by 1 minute reactions from each person in the circle and then a 1 minute “final word” from the original presenter (see http://schoolreforminitiative.org/doc/final_word.pdf for conversational practice in detail). Finally, the group will reconvene for the last 10 minutes to discuss their assumptions and beliefs that were challenged by their conversations, and lead presenters/facilitators will share tools and tips that participants can bring back to their schools and communities.