Friday April 17th over 90 students participated in the 13th annual Day of Silence in order to show our collective rejection of violence against those who identify with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer communities. Students reflected and had fun in promoting a cause in this unique way! I also observed a higher level of comfort in self expression and a clear excitement about being able to “speak out” by being silent.
Spring Volunteer Opportunities for Parents and Adults!
Hello Everybody!
Here at Parkway Peace and Social Justice High School there are MANY ways for both students and community members to become involved in projects. This post is just for those of you who are non-students (parents, activists, community members) but want to become involved! We have a variety of on-going and specific needs. I am listing a sampling of them.
The details about each event are on the “Community Volunteer Page” These opportunities will continue to multiply and change daily so keep checking the Page and I’ll try to keep it updated.
If you have a program or project you would like to bring to Parkway Peace and Social Justice High School please contact Rachel King-Davis, Liz Shriver or Janice Steinberg in the Student Community Development Center: 215-248-6669!
1. May 18-20th Be a Senior Project Panelist!!
2. April 26, 2009 Legs Against Arms Race
3. May 2, Mt. Airy Day 11AM-5PM
4. Ongoing: Mentoring for 2009/2010!!
5. April 14th Holocaust Museum Trip:
6. April 23rd America I AM Exhibit:
7. April 24th-26th Fellowship Farms Retreat:
Parkway Northwest in the News
Parkway Peace Choir
Posted on Tue, Dec 23, 2008
Evening of peace and justice at Parkway’s ‘Project Word‘
By Marsha Cooper Stroman; Guest Writer
If it’s peace and social justice one is seeking, Ethyl McGee, Principal of Parkway Peace and Social Justice High School, 7500 Germantown Avenue, shares them daily with her students and staff. McGee and Rachel King-Davis, Student Community Development Center director at Parkway, permit students to be a part of social justice and how they want to show it in the community. “They are about showing the world how they make a difference,” stated King-Davis.As part of that effort, students and staff held “Project Word” on Thursday, December 4, an evening of storytelling, dancing, poetry, group sessions, knitting, healthy food and fun activities.
Keynote speaker Celeste Zapalla, of Gold Star Families for Peace, shared stories about families who have loved ones in Iraq. “Young people are the solutions today, they are the peacemakers today, stop funding this war, which has become a business in this country,” stated Zapalla, who shared the story of losing her son, Sherwood, in the Iraq war.
Zapalla and 10 other women unsuccessfully tried to speak with President Bush outside his ranch in Texas some time ago to address the war, her son’s death and other issues, however, they were denied. They turned to the Pentagon, only to be ushered away by guards. Zapalla shared that war is never the answer, only a failure while reflecting on words from civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “I’ll stick with love because hatred is too great a burden to bear,” quoted Zapalla.
Parents and students could be found in a “Peaceful Knitting Circle” led by Ms. Mariana, knitting limb covers for amputees who lost a limb in the war, while the Rebecca Davis Dance Company provided stories of genocide in Rwanda through dance from stories told to them by children who survived the massacres there.
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Yomi, an African storyteller from Lagos, Nigeria, shared stories about community, social justice, and peace with his musical instruments, including the xylophone and the drums. “Love is good, we live what we say. Today we have peace,” shared Yomi.
The crowded room of students, parents, and staff received history on social justice issues. Among those in attendance was Elaine Bundy, mother to Jermika, 17, an eleventh grade student at the school. “This is a nice event, I am glad I came tonight, other schools should have this kind of thing where diverse people can get together for social justice and peace,” said Bundy, adding, “Mrs. McGee is an awesome principal.” One of the highlights in the program was McGee inviting the audience to accompany her on a fast against murmuring and complaining. “It’s easy to do when you see what others have endured,” stated McGee.
Songs from the civil rights era could be heard in the corridors from the Parkway Peace Choir, who sang “Don’t Cry,” We Shall Overcome,” and “My Time Has Come.” The choir consisted of Parkway students Shanel Taylor, Saniqua Vaughn, Zana Seymour, Tiara Tyler, Destance Keith, Chanell Coles, and Sherne Williams, with Ashley Stanley and Malika Brown directing.
Monique Neal
Sessions on oppression, the Holocaust, foster parenting, war, and other social justice and peace issues were held with students reciting their original poems and songs. Biheyra Graham, 15, beautifully recited her original poem “Peace, Please,” Brandon Dobbs, 15, performed an a cappella rendition of the late Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” and Rodney Crawford, 15, recited his original “Why I Don’t Look Like You,” bringing applause from staff and students, including math teacher Mindy Nobel, and classmate, Zana Stroman, 15.
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An Introduction to Parkway Peace Work
An Introduction to Parkway Peace Work:
Liz Shriver
3.4.09
As a young adult on a one year fellowship at Parkway I can best allow others to understand what we’re working on through my own experiences here. In the two days of school that I’ve had so far this week I have been challenged by Parkway Students.
On Tuesday All Acceptance Alliance hosted an ‘open house party’ in order to gain interest in gender and sexuality issues. I was asked to think about sexuality and faith in ways I didn’t expect. A junior student who identifies as Muslim, is married and is pregnant with her second child attended our open house because she feels that her beliefs are not understood at the school and she wanted to talk more about diversity. A senior and the godmother of that student’s first child told a story about how she realized at the age of nine that most people didn’t want her to have a ‘girlfriend’ and that she has been fighting to express her identity since then. The day after the party an ally (someone who identifies as strait but supports gay rights) in the group, a ninth grader, told me that her dad wouldn’t let her be in the group anymore once he found out what we were talking about. She was clearly upset but respects her father’s decision and the parameters of her religion. These students gave me a deeper perspective of how complicated faith and identity are.
The next day I sent a senior to do research with the Darfur Alert Coalition for his senior project on American foreign policy and got to see the smile of another student who had received a positive response back from the Women’s Health Center at Bryn Mawr College who she is going to interview about ‘fad diets’ and how they effect women. That afternoon we brought in Awbury Arboretum, Weavers Way, Breakfree Youth Design, a mediation trainer, the Help Increase the Peace Program, and our school counselor to talk about spring and summer opportunities with our 9th and 10th grade students. Each classroom listened and asked questions about how they could get involved, and facilitators came back with long lists of kids wanting to volunteer.
At the end of the day I quickly switched gears and I sent off seven energized students to a Students Talking About Relationships retreat in the city with their facilitator from the Lutheran Settlement House. Students left in a stretch limo, a serendipitous mistake made by the transportation company. After school I observed ninth grade boys create friendships and overcome barriers of ‘cool’ and ‘uncool’ through the packaging of food from the Weavers Way Co-op. Boys who had originally disregarded one of their peers ended our session walking out as a group talking and laughing.
Working with all of these outside speakers and facilitators gives our students a huge variety of perspectives on how to engage with life and take advantage of unique opportunities. What Parkway Peace and Social Justice High School staff, students and teachers strive to do is create a safe space to express opinions, challenge beliefs, have new experiences, and become leaders. We do not look at a “Peace School” as the absence of difference or change but as a place to become active and passionate. In order for our students to develop intellectual passions they need experiential tools which allow them to engage with difficult concepts. Funding for fieldtrips to museums, leadership retreats, youth conferences, international experiences, art projects, special in-class projects, and speakers and facilitate the creation of these tools. Students take new experiences and use them every day when they encounter intolerance, violence and other detriments to peace.
Parkway Peace and Social Justice Blog 