A Day of Experiential Learning on Human Rights Day at SMS

Assembling bicycles for children at El Centro HispanoIn 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which, according to their website, has become a "common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, towards which individuals and societies should strive by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance”.

Since its creation by the UN in 1950, Human Rights Day has not only been celebrated internationally, but it has also served to spread more awareness about the Declaration of Human Rights and how, “ Human rights can empower individuals and communities to forge a better tomorrow. By embracing and trusting the full power of human rights as the path to the world we want, we can become more peaceful, equal and sustainable.”

For twenty-one years, Scarsdale Middle School has also observed Human Rights Day by providing their students with an enriched day of experiential learning. The day’s dozens of hands-on workshops not only teach the students about human rights, but also equip them with the knowledge, empathy, and motivation to make a difference in our community and in the larger world.

In addition to classes and workshops thoughtfully cultivated by each of the middle school teachers, there were three keynote speakers. Students in sixth grade took part in an assembly featuring Dina Zuckerberg from myFace, a non-profit organization “dedicated to transforming the lives of patients with craniofacial conditions by funding medical, surgical, dental care.” Ms. Zuckerberg, Director of Family Programs at myFace, shared her experiences of being bullied due to a craniofacial difference much like Auggie in the book Wonder. Her message focused on the importance of celebrating uniqueness, being an upstander, and choosing to be kind. After the assembly, students created kindness bracelets to be donated to Able Athletics, an organization that helps differently abled athletes participate in sports.

Dan from Grassroots Grocery with student ambassador Jack Levin.Students in seventh grade attended an assembly with Dan Zauderer, the founder of Grassroots Grocery, a produce rescue and delivery program based in the Bronx. Zauder talked about the mission of his organization and spoke to the importance of access to healthy food to under-resourced communities that often remain out of reach. His basic tenet is that together we can drive out hunger. After the assembly, students identified nutrient rich foods to assemble in snack bags to be delivered and immediately distributed to those in need.

Eighth grade students heard from Owen Condon, Volunteer Program Manager from the Afya Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “connect those who have medical supplies with those who need them, delivering hope and healing around the world.” The Afya Foundation was founded by a Scarsdale graduate and works to collect unused medical and hygiene supplies to send to those recovering from a disaster. Students learned about Afya’s work and how they capture medical and hygiene items that would become waste and then distribute them to areas with little access. After learning about Afya, students then participated in a drive to collect hygiene supplies, which they sorted and bagged supplies which will be donated to those most affected by recent natural disasters.

In addition to the keynote speakers, students participated in workshops ranging from working with Guiding Eyes to create dog toys for guide dogs to baking cookies for Meals on Main, a food pantry in Port Chester.

In one workshop, students headed outside to help prepare the SMS garden for winter. With the help of Kaleidoscope Garden Designs, students first harvested vegetables to be donated to Meals on Main and then learned how to clean up the crops, compost the unused material, and cover the crops for winter.

Preparing the garden for winter.In another class, students learned about El Centro Hispano, a nonprofit in White Plains that works “to assist, support, and strengthen Hispanic families; to help them become self- sufficient; and to ease their transition into their new culture while maintaining and enriching their own.” Students also learned about Día de los Niños, a celebration that honors children and their importance to society, and then helped to assemble new bicycles that will be gifted to immigrant children on this special day later this spring. In addition to building bikes, students wrote cards in Spanish for the children.

Some students even became architects for the day and designed earthquake-resistant buildings. Students worked in teams to design and make models of buildings that resist earthquakes and are cost effective. Each team had a different budget to “buy” supplies which proved to be a powerful lesson for the students in how funding could determine how sound their buildings turned out.

In their classes, SMS art teachers had students participate in an act of kindness by decorating candles for Creative heARTS, “a program at White Plains Hospital that utilizes the artistic talents of volunteers and community members in order to engage with hospital patients and staff in a meaningful way. Volunteers are asked to create and donate handmade items—such as origami, jewelry, small pictures and paintings, poetry, knitted or crocheted items, and greeting cards—for distribution to patients in the Center for Cancer Care, staff throughout the healthcare system, and to the hospital's gift shop locations.”Decorating candles for Creative heARTS

In yet another class, students learned that housing is a human right and how 3D housing is becoming a more affordable way to create homes for unhoused individuals. In this class, students designed floor plans including all the things that are needed to make a home comfortable. At a later date, the students will print 3D miniature models of their homes.

Scarsdale High School students were also on hand as volunteers for Able Athletics. Able Athletics is a non-profit that is “dedicated to providing inclusive sports opportunities for children with different abilities, integrating them with volunteer athletes from the community. Their mission includes educating volunteers on unique needs, communication strategies, and expectations.” The high school volunteers spoke with middle school students about their experiences working with athletes with various disabilities and encouraged the younger students to get involved. SMS students also had the opportunity to experience playing various sports with different disabilities such as playing basketball while in a wheelchair. Designing earthquake-resistant buildings

Throughout the day there were dozens of other thought-provoking workshops that explored the Declaration of Human Rights, encouraged students to look at the world from different perspectives and to take action to make a positive contribution to their community.

This exceptional day of hands-on learning was the outcome of the work of SMS teachers Tayla Holtzer and Cara Forray, who planned and organized the day. Holtzer related that “All of the SMS teachers deserve recognition for creating lessons that support this day and provide students with authentic learning experiences!” She added, “This is the 21st year of Human Rights Day at SMS. Human Rights Day is so important because it gives kids the chance to put themselves into other people's shoes. These "shoes" might be someone who is visually or hearing impaired; these "shoes" might be those who do not have enough supplies; these "shoes" might be those recovering from a disaster. Most importantly, this day enables students to learn what the 30 basic human rights are, and how we can help all humans get more access to them.”

Snack bags packed by students for Grassroots Grocery.