A group of Tulsa-area students are asking for a little help to make the world a better place.
Organized by Tulsa Changemakers, a program of Leadership Tulsa, student teams from almost 30 schools are participating in one of four pitch nights this week to lay out what they need from the community at large to improve an aspect of the world around them.
As part of an after-school program, elementary, middle and high school students conducted listening campaigns in their neighborhoods and campuses throughout the semester and initiated projects in response to the feedback they received.
Among the topics tackled by this semester’s cohort are racism, gender-based violence, homelessness, mental health and family separation.
“Our kids in Tulsa are our assets,” Changemakers coach and mentor Hannah Jarman said. “We absolutely need to ensure that we are providing them a space to show their power, because they have so many incredible ideas that are often left behind if we don’t give them spaces to speak on them.”
Among the students participating in Wednesday’s pitch night was Alejandra Soto, a seventh-grader at Tulsa Honor Academy Middle School. Her Changemakers group chose women’s safety as its topic, in part because of the experiences of several of the other female students.
“We’ve felt unsafe, and it is time for people to realize that this is not a normal thing, and this should not be normalized,” Alejandra said.
To address that issue on campus, she and her teammates put together a lesson plan that was incorporated in 20 classes at Tulsa Honor Academy that included a video of men and women in similar situations and how they could be construed differently.
During Wednesday’s pitch night, the group’s public request was simply for people to be aware that it is an issue and to listen to women and girls who have been in situations where they felt unsafe.
“We’re sick and tired of not hearing about this,” Alejandra said. “Honestly, in my eyes, this has been passed off as something as normal in this society, which should not be happening.
“Women should be respected and treated the same as men. Our community has to see that women and men are still treated differently.”
Student teams from Eugene Field and Marshall elementary schools, Will Rogers Middle School, Will Rogers High School, Collegiate Hall and Phoenix Rising are scheduled to present their projects and pitches Thursday evening at the fourth and final pitch night.
The seniors at McLain, Edison and BTW were all too aware that a lot of those moments will look decidedly different for their class, whether they like it or not.Photo by MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
That TPS teachers now have access to locally-created resources to help cover one of the darkest periods in our country’s history is a big jump forward.
It was also absolutely fascinating to learn that there is a Black Wall Street version of “Minecraft” that students will be able to play thanks to an agreement between TPS and the Greenwood Cultural Center.Photo by JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World File
Article Credit: tulsaworld