Regional Workshop February 24, 2023

New London High School STEM Lecture Hall

7:45     Groton STA bus picks up Fitch High students

8:00     Groton STA bus picks up Ledyard High students

8:30     Arrive at New London High STEM Program Lecture Hall

8:45 Icebreakers:

     Movement games

     Name games

     Read New London Day editorial re: MTW workshop in November

9:15 Vision Setting Activity

     In the large group, introduce the concept of developing a multi-year action plan group

     Brainstorm ideas in small groups  record suggestions on newsprint

     Share with large group

10:15 Bennie Dover Jackson student-led workshop:

     Explanation of the problem – Kate Fioravanti or someone else from Bennie Dover Jackson MS

     Pre-mortem why will the school reorganization fail

     How to facilitate middle school workshops?

11:15 Lunch

11:45 School Group meeting – each school’s More Than Words club members chat about school plans

12:15 Workshop wrap up and final plans for Bennie Dover Jackson workshop

1:15     Bus departs New London High

1:45     Drop off Ledyard High students

Regional Workshop November 17, 2022

La Grua Art Center

Stonington, CT

7:55 Pick up New London High students

8:25 Pick up Ledyard High students

8:45 Pick up Fitch High students

9:00 Drop off all students at La Grua Art Center in Stonington Borough

9:00- 10:30  Orientation to exhibit: Three Steps Forward and Two Steps Back 

• Strategies for viewing social justice artworks – Professor Jessica Cerullo, Conn College
• Artist interpretation and presentation: Pam Gordinier
• Gallery Walk: 
• What do you notice? What do you wonder?

(give the students post-it notes to record responses)

• How can art address social justice issues?

10:30 – 11:30 Student Icebreakers

• Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around -song and dance
• Small group  large group report out: What issues need to be addressed by More Than Words, what can we do as a group to make a difference?

11:30 Lunch

12:00 – 1:45 Presentation by Kirk Edwards:

• Innovators, Architects, and Trailblazers of America’s Only Original Art Form: Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis.

12:45 – 1:15 School More Than Words Club reports: 

• New London
• Ledyard
• Fitch

1:15 Group departs La Grua

1:45 Drop off Ledyard High students

2:00 Drop of Fitch students

2:30 Drop of New London students

Regional Workshop September 15, 2022

7:30 Pick up Fitch High School students
7:50 Pick up Ledyard High School stations
8:15 Drop off Fitch High and Ledyard High students at the New London High School Multi Magnet Campus STEM Building
8:30 Icebreakers: 

· Movement games

· Name games

9:00 Program welcome and orientation 

·  History of MTW

· The role of student voice in schools 

9:15 Small group discussion: the pandemic resulted in significant academic loss; nationwide reading and math scores are down. Most educators think the losses can be made up in the near future, but many fear that the mental health declines are worse and may last for far longer.

 

In your group, please identify the social, emotional and mental health concerns you see in schools and suggest ways to address them. 

 

9:45  Report out to large group

 
10:15 Presentation by Amistad staff re: ship’s history
11:00 lunch
11:30 Depart New London High School, travel to city pier for Amistad visit
1:00 Depart New London city pier 
1:10 Drop New London High Students at New London High
1:40 Drop Ledyard High Students at Ledyard High
2:00 Drop Fitch students at Fitch High

Regional Workshop May 27, 2022

 May 27, 2022

New London High School STEM Lecture Hall

 

7:45     Groton STA bus picks up Fitch High students

8:00     Groton STA bus picks up Ledyard High students

8:30     Arrive at New London High STEM Program Lecture Hall

 

8:45 Icebreakers:

• Movement games

• Name games

• Recognition of MTW poets

 

9:15 Opinion continuum:

• School Resource Officers are not needed in high schools

• I feel heard by teachers in my school/ I feel empowered in my school

• I have an adult in my school whom I can trust

• Teachers have a responsibility to respond appropriately to hate speech

• Most students are supportive of the LGBTQ community

• When administrators come to a More Than Words weekly meeting, the conversation changes.

• I feel like students have good access to physical and mental health services at school. 

 

9:45 ​Social Justice exercise: Jemal Davis and Rep. Anthony Nolan

• Look at yourself in a mirror: our vision is often distorted and obstructed by social influences.

• How do we fight against those distortions?

• Article in The Day re: Buffalo shootings --> Jemal note to Groton staff

• Questions to pursue: 

o Jemal has encouraged teachers to speak out; how can students help teachers deal with racial, ethnic and other forms of hate speech?

o Why are teachers reluctant to speak about racial issues?

o How do we prevent ourselves from becoming numb to mass shootings?

o How do we create a safe space for dialogues?

o How do we identify allies and buddies to support our efforts?

 

10: 30 ​In small group and then report out to large group:

• What have you done individually or observed done to promote social justice?

• Create list of 10 simple things we can do to promote social justice 

 

 11:15​ Lunch

 

11:45 ​Senior farewells and program comments          

 

12:30     Bus departs New London High

12:50     Drop off Fitch High students

  1:15    Drop off Ledyard High students

 

Regional Workshop March 2, 2022

New London High School STEM Lecture Hall

 

7:45     Groton STA bus picks up Fitch High students 

8:00     Groton STA bus picks up Ledyard High students

8:30     Arrive at New London High STEM Program Lecture Hall

 

8:45     Icebreakers:

·      Movement Games

·      Name Games

·      Group challenge- arrange in birthday order without talking

·      Recognize Kiah for being selected as MPTN Youth Chairwoman 

            

9:30     Listening exercise- small group with large group report out:

·      Think a person you admire as a great listener; what qualities do they show that makes you think he or she is such a good listener

·      Think of a person who you suspect does not listen well, what qualities or actions do they show that makes you think they are not listening?

·      Report out as small group to the large group

 

10:00   “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

·      The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy

·      Theme: “You are not alone” – we need to gather allies and build 

·      We are all swimming in a toxic sea; Ledyard incident with Bacon Academy and Groton/New London fight

·       How can we as a group make a difference and become agents of change?

 

10:30   Ledyard MTW outreach program

·      Kurt and students explain process used at Ledyard High with faculty and administration

·      School groups meet to strategize how to facilitate dialogue, gather allies and build bridges to address problems

            Leadership Skills:

·      Think of an effective leader, what qualities does he or she possess? What qualities do you think you need to improve or learn to be an effective student leader?

·      Small group talk --> report to full group

 

11:30 Lunch

 

12:00    School groups share strategies to the large group

 

12:45   Leadership Skills:

·      Think of an effective leader, what qualities does he or she possess? What qualities do you think you need to improve or learn to be an effective student leader?

·      Small group talk --> report to full group

 

1:15     Bus departs New London High

1:45     Drop off Ledyard High students

2:15     Drop off Ledyard Fitch students

Photos from December 17, 2021 Workshop

Click here for photos from our 3-school workshop at the NLHS Multi-Magnet Campus on December 17, 2021.

Photo of 2021-2022 Group

Click on photo to enlarge