pbauerco 's Profile

Why it Matters

If we start with a vision of the kind of adult we want to produce—not with the test scores we want students to attain—and work our way backward, we will see the value of preparing questioning, critically thinking young people. Engagement in their communities provides students with a context for the importance of a basic education: We must read and write if we are to vote, participate, and effectively advocate for ourselves and our communities. Projects like the Hampton Youth Commission and SDL’s change projects foster critical thinking while imparting in the young participants a sense of agency. They get to see how their engagement can influence their community. They are more confident in themselves and more confident about their democracy. And they succeed.