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Connecting to Story = Building Empathy

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HGavagan

By Youth in Arts Mentor Artist Hannah Gavagan

I love teaching the 3rd graders of Cornell Elementary about the stories of Civil Rights Leaders. The students build empathy by imagining what it would be like to live during that time.  It seems like such a long time ago to them. But it wasn’t. And many students express that racism is a thing of the past. But it isn’t.  Sometimes students think that protests and marches were things people did a long time ago to create change. But they are happening today.
The students of Cornell Elementary participated in a school-wide walk out and I was full of gratitude to be able to participate with them. When I walked into the school that morning, it was a sea of orange to honor the students of Parkland, Florida. They held signs that said “Schools Should be Safe” and “Students Stand United Against Hate.”
Students ran up to me expressing how it made them feel powerful to take a stand and make their voices heard. They realized they were change makers. That their voice matters. I was moved to tears as I witnessed lessons sink in and expand their personal power.

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