Author: slpLiz
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Third Graders Tackle Car Pollution in their Neighborhood
Did you know that Ubers, Lyfts and taxis produce more toxic emissions than any other form of transportation? Third graders in Williamsburg took on this issue during SLP’s Fall Residency and published an incredibly powerful newsletter to raise awareness in their community about the dangers of car emissions. Read on to discover their solutions for…
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NYC Homelessness: A Persistently Urgent Concern for SLP Students
The SLP Residency begins with a basic question for our students: what are you worried about? What follows is a brainstorming session during which students identify issues of concern in their schools and neighborhoods. The topics they raise, ranging from bullying to gun violence to climate change, vary with each group of students but one…
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Activist Spotlight: Destiné Price
In this week’s installment of the Spotlight Series, we bring you a conversation with Destiné Price, a 19 year old writer from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Destiné uses her poetry to explore how racism works as a social construct and how this system works to shape perspectives. Check out our interview with Destiné below! Tell us a little…
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Activist Spotlight: Rachel Parent
In this week’s installment of the Spotlight Series, we bring you a conversation with Rachel Parent, a Toronto high school student who’s not drawn to designer labels – she’s drawn to food labels. Rachel has been recognized for her work as an Emerging Leader by the The Clean50 Summit in Toronto, named one of Toronto’s Environmental Heroes by…
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Activist Spotlight: Salvador Gómez-Colón
In this week’s installment of the Spotlight Series, we bring you a conversation with Salvador Gómez-Colón, a 15 year old from San Juan who raised more than $100,000 to purchase and distribute solar-powered lamps and hand-powered washing machines to households in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Tell us a little about yourself……
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Never Too Young to Be a Leader
This fall, all three kindergarten classes at PS 147 in Williamsburg participated in SLP’s Residency Program. These incredible 5 year olds are the best illustration of our founding belief: if given the opportunity, youth of any age can use their voices to help solve problems in their schools and neighborhoods. So how does the SLP model…
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The New Normal
What social problem worries elementary school children so much that they devote twelve weeks to trying to solve it? For two SLP classes attending school in underserved Brooklyn neighborhoods, the answer is gun violence. During the fall session of SLP’s Residency Program, a 5th grade class at a public school in Brownsville shared stories of…
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Activist Spotlight: Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
Throughout 2019, we are releasing exclusive interviews from young activists around the country. We believe that no matter your age, you can create real change. Each person featured in this series embodies that belief. Today, we bring you a conversation with Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, an 18 year old indigenous environmental activist, hip hop artist and youth…
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Activist Spotlight: Kate Griem
Throughout 2019, SLP will be releasing exclusive interviews from young activists around the country. We believe that no matter your age, you can create real change. Each person featured in this series embodies that belief. To kick off 2019, we bring you a conversation with Kate Griem, co-director of Teens Resist and a sophomore from…
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State and Local Efforts to Improve Civics Education Are on the Rise
“Many people, especially young people, are no longer content to sit on the sidelines while their futures are decided by others. Comprehensive civics education will equip our students with the tools they need to become the informed, active citizens our forefathers imagined when they created our systems of government.” -Mass. State Senate President Karen Spilka…