The semester was barely under way when the students, their faculty advisers, and chaperones took off for a trip to Costa Rica.
Sophomore English teacher, and one of the Global Studies advisers, Stacy Webster told Forefront, “We hope that the students who traveled to Costa Rica learned that the world is a really big place. We hope they also learned that the world is a really small place. With the Bribri indigenous people, our students learned that nature is perfect, and that being ‘civilized’ doesn't always mean industrialized, globalized, or super-sized. They probably learned that thatched roofs really do keep out the rain, and mosquito nets are an amazing invention. They learned that planting trees can erase the carbon footprint created by traveling to and through Costa Rica, and that we left the planet better off than it was before, because we planted so many trees. They learned that elders everywhere have stories to tell. At Earth University [6], students learned that innovation and hard work are traits to be valued. We learned that those who have a voice have power. And while they may not realize it yet, we hope a seed is planted in all our students' minds: they have the power to change the world.”
Then, to help the students bring their international experience to a local level, Forefront Austin introduced the sophomores to five of Austin’s most-respected “thinkers and doers.” For two days, students sat in the same classroom with Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo [7]; Susana Almanza [8], executive director of PODER; Alan Graham [9], executive director of Mobile Loaves and Fishes [10]; former Deputy State Comptroller Billy Hamilton, now the interim Chief Financial Officer of Capital Metro; and Allen Weeks [11], president of the St. John Neighborhood Association.
They learned how Chief Acevedo works to earn the support of the men and women of the Austin Police Department by riding patrol on nights, weekends and even holidays. They understood why Almanza still worries about environmental concerns in the East Austin neighborhood where she grew up and still lives. They saw Graham’s passion in working to address the problems of Austin’s hungry and homeless. Hamilton’s passion is public sector government, which has led him on assignments from Austin to Washington, D.C. to Sacramento, Calif., and even to Bosnia. Weeks first assumed a leadership role for his fellow St. John residents to help run drug dealers out of his neighborhood.
With vastly different backgrounds and concerns, Forefront’s five presenters provided the high school sophomores with unique insight into complex issues that was worthy of a two-day seminar at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Several common themes emerged.
Among them:
- Believe in what you do
- Have honesty and integrity
- Work as hard as the people who work for you
- Assume something will go wrong
- Fix the problem, not the blame
- Share the credit
Finally, it was time for the students to move from fact-finding in Costa Rica, and Forefront’s leadership seminar, into action.
For several weeks, the students, in their teams, worked to:
- Research and identify a global issue with a local impact
- Interview the leaders, visionaries, and pot-stirrers of Austin who are in the trenches, addressing the problem locally
- Propose a solution and take action
- Write an essay about the experience
- Create an advocacy product (video, website, etc.) that would persuade others to care, learn more, or take action themselves
As the semester drew to a close, the 23 teams of Global Studies students gathered to present their work to parents, friends, experts in the field, and a team from Forefront Austin.
As Robert Gonzales, a chemistry teacher and another sophomore faculty advisor, said, “We understand that some of the most important lessons demand a real-world setting that a classroom cannot provide. I was very impressed with the impact the project had on students. There was a real sense of accountability and accomplishment in their presentations. We set out to push students beyond the standards of our specific disciplines, asking them to grow as learners by connecting and contributing to their community.”
Whether it was working with special need and economically disadvantages preschoolers, immigrant families, or children from broken homes, virtually all of the 120 sophomores found it rewarding and enriching to become immersed in an advocacy project that required leadership and vision:
"Visiting the Austin Children's Shelter [12], and learning about the ways abused kids have been helped, returned some of my faith in humanity as to the potential for growth and change in the world."
— Nina Laudon
“By working with Posada Esperanza [13], and interacting with families who have immigrated, I've been globally informed; stereotypes were broken and I've learned about life from a different perspective."
— Dana Rinaudo
"Working with underprivileged children on an art project immensely improved my appreciation of the power of a smile."
— Lucy Chism
As difficult as it was to narrow down its selections, the Forefront team has chosen two of the student projects to feature elsewhere in this issue. The chosen topics are agricultural sustainability; and encouraging kids to engage in sports [14]. We encourage you to read their essays, watch their videos, and explore their websites.
And by all means, remember their names, because, clearly, these students are Austin’s next generation of problem-solvers, visionaries, and pot-stirrers.