Brookline High School Program in Social Justice Leadership Cultivating life-long leaders for social justice

Background:  The Brookline High School Program in Social Justice Leadership is supported by The 21st Century Fund which collaborated with Roger Grande, a Brookline High School social studies teacher, to create the program.  Roger's proposal built on his existing work as an advisor to Student Action for Justice and Education (SAJE). a student social justice organization.  The first cohort of students began the program during the 2007-2008 academic year.

Participants: The Program in Social Justice Leadership is open to all juniors and seniors who have submitted an application and can demonstrate maturity, desire to participate, and a proven ability to fulfill commitment.  Students earn a ½-1 credit and a certification in social justice for their participation.  Students must have at least two afternoons available either in the fall, winter or spring to attend an internship.

Program Model:  We begin with the foundation of social justice:  Stories, Relationships, Practices and Values.  Through the telling and reading of stories, students hear the voices of the marginalized and gain insight into the strength that comes from working in concert with others.  They engage with the five foundational practices of social justice--courage, commitment, compassion, humility and praxis--and begin to clarify their ow values.

Core Experiences                                                                                                          

Seminars:  Weekly seminars provide a forum to clarify the meaning and goals of social justice, reflect on how to incorporate the program values into one's social justice vision and to discuss readings in social justice.  Seminar topics align with quarterly foci:  identity, organizing to make change, cultivating a passion for issues and leadership.  Seminars are also a forum to analyze internship experiences and evaluate writing.

Training and trips:  Students participate in approximately one full-day training per quarter.  Recent trainings have addressed race, incarceration, advocacy, leadership and environmental justice.  Trainings serve to cultivate and critically analyze a social justice identity, build leadership capacity, develop a "power analysis," and cohere the group.  Recent trips to frontline social justice sights include a "toxic tour" of Dudley Square and a visit with incarcerated men.

Speakers:  Students organize and host speakers who will address leadership, vision and topical issues in social justice.

Internship: Students intern (volunteer) at local social justice organizations where they are exposed to working social justice advocates and the tasks and means to pursue a social justice vision.  The program coordinator will place students at participating sites and communicate regularly with intern supervisors to monitor the interns.  Internships typically last 1/3 of the school year, 1-2 afternoons per week.  The program is partnered with many local organizations working on a wide diverisity of social justice issues, including law, environment, labor, gender and human rights.

Writing: Students develop a social justice mission statement over the course of the year in an effort to incorporate reflection and awareness into their own development as social justice advocates.  Mission statements draw from frequent web-based journal and blog postings that explore issues such as collective action, staking courageous claims and internship experiences.

Evaluation:  Students formally evaluate their internship experience, and take turns evaluating trainings, seminars and speakers.