ADL’s Promoting Empowerment Seminar Allows Students to Discuss Diversity and Acceptance
Image courtesy of Westside Community Schools Twitter
Four sophomores recently attended ADL’s Promoting Empowerment seminar, where they learned more about inclusivity.
Four Westside sophomores participated in ADL’s Promoting Empowerment seminar on Oct. 27. The students learned about the importance of understanding the experiences of others in order to promote acceptance and understanding. Social Studies Instructor Amy Studts attended the event.
“We had different activities to help guide discussion about injustices and issues that affect society as a whole,” Studts said.
Studts said that one of the goals of the seminar was to educate students about people with different backgrounds and experiences.
“We want kids to learn about others and see what experiences are like for other students at other high schools,” Studts said.
Students from 15 different high schools attended the ADL seminar. Sophomore Julia Allbery attended, and said that she liked meeting students from different schools.Throughout the seminar, the students participated in activities designed to teach them about the importance of preventing injustice and promoting acceptance.
“We want kids to learn about others and see what experiences are like for other students at other high schools,” Studts said.
“There was no one who was remotely similar in just my group,” Allbery said, “and it was extremely diverse. I got along so well with all of [the people in my group]. It was a really good experience.”
Studts said that Westside will be working to incorporate the inclusive values that were talked about at the seminar into schools across the district as well.
“What we’d like to do as a whole is to get Westside to be [a No Place for Hate School] again, because we already have been [one],” Studts said.
Studts said that Westside will be utilizing the WE-SIDE (Welcoming Equity Support Inclusion and Dignity for Everyone) program and other inclusive communities to promote acceptance and diversity throughout the district.
“We’re hoping to do a little bit more with this for our school,” Studts said. “There [are] lots of different groups, like WE-SIDE, there [are] inclusive communities, so hopefully through working with the ADL and No Place for Hate, we can do that for our school.”
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Hi, My name is Milla Papenfuss! I’m a staff writer for Westside Wired this year. I am currently a sophomore and this is my first year on Wired. A fun...
