What’s Happening: Smith School 7th graders traveled to Rutgers University on April 25 to present civic action projects at the 2024 Youth In Action conference. The Summit brings together over 200 students from various districts throughout New Jersey as a part of the Civically Engaged Districts Project.
Why It Matters: When students perceive problems as challenges to be tackled rather than waiting for someone else to intervene, they are empowered to take proactive action. This mindset shift not only fosters a sense of autonomy and self-efficacy but also cultivates essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and resilience.
Opening remarks shared by Rutgers’ Dr. Beth Rubin, Coordinator, Social Studies Education, Education Theory Policy and Administration, highlighted this important work. Dr. Rubin shared the students taking action to effect changes are “working to build communities and spaces the way you want them to be.”
Big impact: Smith students presented their process to research and solve local problems in the areas of recess equipment, school start time, and school cleanliness. Our students are able to show empathy to solve a problem that will matter, critical thinking to come up with viable solutions, and collaboration as they work together in groups to research, represent their data, and determine their next steps.
What they’re saying: “Civic education plays a vital role in molding responsible and well-informed citizens who actively engage in society. I am immensely proud of the accomplishments of all our 7th graders and deeply impressed by the students who presented at Rutgers.” - Barbara Ung, Smith School Social Studies Teacher
Congratulations to the participating students who made significant contributions in the Summit’s success: Ella Vadnais, Mariah Byrd, Sydney Saxon, Zabi Bahri, Sachin Kishore, Alexander Alanakyan, Patrick Schwarz, Joshua Varghese, Grey Rose Wilkens, Noah Ibach, Amelia Kamnik and Alison Cubias-Hernandez.
