Croton-Harmon High School Class of 2028 Explore New Learning Opportunities That Promote Their Passions

In the Oxford Languages dictionary, the word advocacy is defined as public support for, or recommendation of, a particular cause or policy. CHHS freshman students took a deeper dive into the powerful concept during a recent event, and in the process, they came to understand that they first have to find their own voices before it can be used to support others. 

On Friday, November 15th, ninth-grade students attended a Civics Concentration event organized by CHHS Dean of Students Erica Fiorini in collaboration with Westchester’s Children’s Association (WCA) and Westchester Youth Alliance (WYA). The two organizations work locally to improve the lives of children and youth through policies and programs that empower high school students to build connected communities through service. As Angel Gray, Program and Policy Manager for WCA, began the Advocacy 101 presentation, she posed a question to the room of freshman students, “Who here has advocated for something?” Ms. Gray reminded the students that advocacy can simply look like asking a teacher for extra help or extra time on a project. “I can guarantee everyone in this room has advocated for themselves,” she said. “Self-advocating is knowing what you need to thrive and speaking up for yourself.” 

The civics concentration is one of three specialized learning opportunities offered to freshman students that reflect Croton Harmon Schools’ Vision Map and the commitment to developing interdisciplinary, innovative, and passion-based classes and experiences. “This is the first year we are rolling out the civics concentration, which is a four-year program that starts in a student’s freshman year. The class of 2028 will be our first cohort to have the ability to pursue the Seal of Civic Readiness,” said Ms. Fiorini. “We had one event in the fall for each of the concentration offerings - Civics, Humanities, and STEM - for students to begin exploring these passions in groups of students with similar interests.”

Ms. Gray navigated the students through the process of advocacy and its different applications, including engagement, identifying problems, collecting data, critical thinking, speaking up, identifying supporters, taking action, setting benchmarks for goals, preparation, and persistence. The interactive workshop was designed to encourage students to find their passions, get involved, and use their voices. One key takeaway was that it is never too early to be an active participant. She explained to the students that the value of their input extends into the outside community as well as in school. “Take some time to get to know state representatives and local legislators, and attend public hearings. We are all constituents,” she said. “Being a constituent means you are impacted by the person who is governing your district.” 

As a final activity, Ms. Gray led the students through an ‘elevator pitch’ exercise. Working together, students chose an issue and created a message that succinctly delivered four key elements: problem statement, solution, impact, and call to action. Ms. Gray had them repeat each point several times until the message became more refined. Asking the students to stand on their feet, Ms. Gray set her timer and had them deliver the pitch one more time. It came in just under 30 seconds, the same amount of time it takes to ride an elevator. “We need you at the table,” she said. “Other people are making decisions that will impact you. You have a right to belong, and you have a right to have a seat at the table. Your presence can move mountains.”