First Meeting with our Partner School!

Yesterday, Isela and I had the opportunity to collaborate with Vista Magnet Middle School in Vista, CA, forming Voces y Manos’ first official school partnership. Throughout the day, we gave VyM presentations to 6 classes of awesome 8th graders. Meg Jacobsen, our incredible partner teacher, planned a lesson on relating global inequality of the past to inequality today. The students have been studying historical issues of inequalities, racism, and poverty in the novel “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry”, and it was our job to show them an example of inequality today. The students are also working toward a “capstone” project where they identify a need in their community and address it with a community service project, much like the VyM students.The connection between the two groups of students was incredible! 

We first showed a clip from the “Unnatural Causes” PSB series, which explains how the poor health of Americans is related to the extreme divisions of wealth in the US, placing a large emphasis on the social determinants of health. The kids then did a reflection on the types of global inequalities happening in the world today. Next, we introduced Voces y Manos, emphasizing our belief that everyone has the right to be healthy. Many of the kids in the class spoke Spanish, and were very excited when they knew that “por el derecho a la salud” means “for the right to health”. 

Next, we discussed the problem of malnutrition in Guatemala, along with a BBC video (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-radio-and-tv-14931751).  We had a discussion about what could be done to combat malnutrition both at home and in Guatemala, and the students came up with really cool ideas. One student even proposed the idea of a community co-op. I was very impressed at their level of engagement! After brainstorming their solutions to address malnutrition, we introduced them to Griselda, Dinora, and Estefani– three VyM students who made community gardens in Chiticoy in response to widespread malnutrition. We watched a really neat clip that Jessica put together of the girls giving a tour of the gardens.  In simple terms, the students were floored. They were so inspired to see students their age making such a positive impact on a community level. We then showed the students examples and pictures of other VyM students and their projects and discussed why each project is important for the community. Because of their capstone projects, the students could really identify with the VyM students, and seemed to be very inspired. 

Lastly, the students wrote “I am” poems with tones of hope and change to send to the VyM students in Guatemala. The students were encouraged to write in Spanish, Spanglish, or whatever they could manage. I had a few very memorable interactions with kids who are native Spanish speakers but have been told in other schools that they shouldn’t speak Spanish. It was truly a gift to see them shine with their language skills! After class when we read the poems, we were really humbled by the level of student reflection and engagement. 

Overall, it was a great honor to work with such forward-thinking teachers and students! We will meet with these students again in the next few months as the partnership progresses. 

-Allison Van Vooren, VyM Intern

Allison presenting about VyM to a class of 8th graders at Vista Magnet Middle School, an IB World School

Mrs. Jacobsen’s class graciously welcomed us!