Rethinking back-to-school with help from student activists

The twitterverse and other edu social media platforms are buzzing with back-to-school ideas. Last year, prompted by my daughter packing for her first year at university, I wrote my back-to-school reflection about how much has changed about learning since I packed for my first collegiate year. And I wondered how her professors and her university (Clark University: Challenge Convention, Change our World #rollcougs!) prepared to engage in her learning journey.

This year, I am prompted by her to reflect again. My now college-aged daughter just returned home from a few days of leadership and advocacy training at the March for Our Lives Summit. She was bursting with energy and stories that filled 90 minutes of conversation on the ride from the airport and rendered me simultaneously brimming with pride and speechless.

My takeaway as I listened to her describe and process her experience:

What students do for themselves

when they organize for a purpose

is a call to action for educators.

At the Summit, they explored identity: the varying and fluid aspects of their life experiences that inform their world view.

They engaged in a deep discussion of privilege. They wrestled with types of privilege and our responsibility to recognize the privilege we each have and use it to lift others up.

They learned how to tell their individual stories to build relationships with diverse people. And they learned how to affirm each other in both disagreement and agreement.

They practiced building a Yes, and... mindset.

They examined teams and collaboration to understand how people work well together: each member contributing their talents, identifying group needs, and filling them with more talent.

They engaged in current events. They strive to be informed and purposeful in their actions.

All of this they did for themselves and each other, together. And it makes we wonder, as the educators who will welcome them back to our schools and classrooms in the coming weeks, how are we preparing to challenge, nurture, and empower them? How will we meet them where they are and help them grow toward their passions? And, the same question I asked last year: how will we contribute to their development as empathetic, global citizens?

Feel free to share your ideas, plans, and suggestions in the comments. Let's learn from each other.