We are concerned about the number of underfunded public schools in New York City. Less than 35% of the city's education budget goes toward purchasing new supplies. We seek to enrich the classroom experience by providing workshops, field trips and academic mentors to the city's most in-need children. Our strategy is to expose students who normally would not have the opportunity to learn and research global issues with the long-term goal of improving students' academic outcomes.
79% of New York City public school students come from low-income households. This high poverty level is compounded by underresourced schools. Less than 35% of the NYC DOE budget is used to purchase supplies for the classroom. A recent study by NEA reveals NYC public schools lag behind in building students' global competency. Our program will address this issue by filling the educational/resource gap to offer an innovative, holistic program that exposes low-income students to global issues.
The process of peacebuilding is ongoing and complex. At Peace Islands Institute, we believe peace begins with a firm understanding of global issues. Since public education is the main mechanism through which today's students attain global competence, the importance of providing public high school students with leadership training and skills cannot be overstated. Global competency can contribute to peace by promoting diversity along with equal opportunity.
There are social and academic benefits to this program. Through exposure to global topics and critical thinking exercises, our participants will improve classroom outcomes like GPA, attendance, and speaking skills. Socially our program will empower students to speak confidently about global issues and to learn the strategies of peace building to become global citizens.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
