Upper Schoolers Do “Whatever It Takes” to Make a Difference
Reducing energy consumption. Addressing image and self-esteem concerns among girls and young women. Providing a youth role model for pre-teens. Giving a voice to teen poets and musicians . . .
The students enrolled in this year’s newly introduced WIT (Whatever It Takes) program at the Upper School want to make a difference in all these areas—and, in just seven months, they have taken concrete first steps in this direction.
WIT is the brainchild of Upper School graduate Sarah Hernholm (US’94), who believes strongly in harnessing and encouraging teenagers’ desires for positive change. Her nonprofit organization has worked with high schoolers in the San Diego area for several years, leading them through a process of inquiry, introspection, and planning to implement projects that make a difference within their community or peer group. This is the first year that the class has been offered at Principia. (It meets in the evenings and requires several additional hours each week working with mentors and planning project activities.) Completion of the yearlong class earns students college credit through the University of California, San Diego Extension.
“The end goal is for each teen to have experienced the launch and implementation of their project in the real world,” Hernholm says. “I love that each project resonates deeply with the teens involved. The Principians’ WIT projects are incredibly heartfelt. . . . Getting to see the students’ reaction to people receiving their project so well is really priceless.”
The class, which Hernholm co-facilitates with Monica Semnacher (US’01, C’05), who also supports Principia’s community service class, regularly brings in external expertise to engage with the students in frank discussions and feedback sessions on their project ideas. These individuals have included former Principia alums—entrepreneurs Peter King (US’94, C’98) and Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin (C’07)—as well the founders of St. Louis-based Girls Dreaming Big, which provides services, products, and resources to help high school and college-age girls build self-esteem and confidence and create positive networks.
Just a week ago, senior Namrata and junior Lindsay, whose project is called Soar, held their first event at a local restaurant. The idea was to provide a venue for “teens to freely express themselves about social and world issues” through poetry, songs, or stories. Lindsay, who kicked off the evening by performing a song of her own, says, “The most fun part was definitely hearing students’ passion for change through their original poetry and music. It was really cool to see how much teens have to say and how much they care about the world and society.” But there were challenges, too, she adds—spreading the word about the event, finding people who were willing to perform, and overcoming her own stage fright. Ten students from area schools shared their original work, and the winner (a student from Parkway South) had never performed in public before!
“It was a big success and I was amazed at the quality of performers and all the topics they touched on—problems with social media, indifference to world issues, adoption, true beauty, suicide, relationships,” says Semnacher, and the Soar team “did a great job from start to finish.”
Other Principia student projects include Unplugged, which has made presentations to both Upper School dorms about what students can do to help conserve energy and also proposed ideas on LED lighting and other issues. Another project, Own It, is a social networking initiative aimed at helping girls and young women “come together and own our stories and change the world.” Via Tumblr, the Own It team poses a monthly challenge to readers to think and act in in a positive way—such as posting a selfie with a sentence “on something that you LOVE about yourself” or with “someone you’re grateful for and list[ing] 5 reasons why.”
Toward the end of the year, the students will put on a showcase event that presents their projects and their learning to the community. The plan is for the WIT class to be offered at Principia again this coming year and to involve students from other schools. Students will also participate in a network of local organizations engaged in youth activism.