Mashantucket Tribal Community Center
8:05 Groton STA bus picks up New London High students at Jefferson Ave entrance
8:25 Groton STA bus picks up Fitch High students
8:30 Ledyard STA bus picks up Ledyard students
8:45 Arrive at Mashantucket Tribal Community Center
8:50 Icebreakers
Movement games/ Name games
Group challenge: Quick Line-up - Have the group make lines of 8-10. If you have more than one line, they can race to line up in order of:
Alphabetical city where you were born.
Height, shortest to tallest
After area code, first three numbers of phone number, least to greatest
9:20 Mission Review:
More Than Words is a group of student leaders from Fitch High School, Ledyard High School and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and New London High School Multi Magnet Campus High School.
The mission of More Than Words is to promote resect for diversity, facilitate communication and build trust among members of our community. Goals: develop a group able to respond to crises, work proactively to prevent problems and celebrate diversity.
9:30 Mystic Chamber of Commerce invitation:
Feb. 3, 2024 Celebration of Black History Month 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Chamber would like to add student voices to the celebration.
Kevin Booker – Union Baptist Church and Mystic Seaport
Student-led panel discussion - Possible questions:
Many people say that Black History Month is not very effective, how could we make the month a better learning experience?
Knowing that major aspects of Black history have not been incorporated into our history; what would a meaningful Black History Month look like?
Should the focus of Black History Month be primarily aimed at the African Americans community or the larger society? What benefits are derived various segments of the population?
Does celebrating Black History month advance the cause of social justice?
Development of strategies for panel discussion
10:30 Orientation to More Than Words outreach: Middle school workshop
Topic: How to respond to negative talk like hate language, disability put-downs, antisemitism, Islamophobia
Last spring workshop for More Than words students 🡪 Scenarios – how to respond to negative situations in various environments. Groups will respond to each scenario in three ways: (1) with buddies or allies, (2) in a mixed group and (30) in a potentially unsafe environment.
You hear homophobic joke and someone you thought was an ally, laughs and walks away.
You are on bus and student displays swastika and gestures the Nazi salute.
You hear a student say, "that's so r-slur" or "I'm so r-slur" or "They're so r-slur" (or you can substitute the f-slur here).
In an academic situation, an academic word is used with a prefix of trans- or homo-, like transcontinental or homologous, then students start laughing and saying "homo" or they crack trans jokes.
You are in a group setting and you think you heard someone say a slur and you want to say, "wait, what did you say?" but you are hesitant because of the group.
A teacher that some students don't like get made fun of because of their physical disability. (While other students can empathize with not liking the teacher, making fun of them because of their disability is over the top.)
After one student says something in class, another student makes fun of them by using the hand gesture for the r-slur (we can explain this one) so other students chuckle.
You hear a joke that is just over the top (for making fun of a group).
How to be a positive bystander - skits
11:00 Middle school workshop organization
Facilitation skills
Partners presenting the topic to middle school classes
11:30 Lunch
12:00 Amistad Leadership Academy – Reeshemah Norfleet, Discovering Amistad, April 2024
12:30 Opinion Continuum- Possible statements:
Should schools allow free speech that some consider anti-Jewish or anti-Muslim
Social media has a negative impact on my peers
I feel heard in my school.
1:20 Fishbowl
How to promote school spirit
Bathroom access alternatives
No sabo kids
1:45 Bus departs Tribal Community Center
2:00 Bus drops off Ledyard students
2:05 Drop off Fitch High students
2:30 Drop off New London High students