Bec Rose

October 23, 2015

Knowledge is EmPOWERment

With the current state of the education system in America, how do we make sure that all of our students have access to the resources and support that they need and deserve? How do we prevent students from falling through the cracks, and most importantly how do we get them to realize their own value in spite of those who expect them to fail? In Holyoke, Massachusetts, one of the state’s lowest ranking and underperforming school districts, the people at Connections After-School Program work tirelessly to address such concerns. This summer Bec Rose had the privilege of interning with Connections wherein they led an enrichment club called Empowerment with two groups of high school students. The goal was to implement an extracurricular aspect to the summer school day in order to provide students with activities and opportunities to engage in dialogue about their own identities, the identities of their peers, and their goals, hopes, and dreams. From poetry writing exercises to promote literacy, to current events concerning social justice, from a field trip to a high ropes course, to visualization projects, Bec and their students made an attempt to make sense of the world together.