Also written by Fabiana Hervas Vargas
Many people of Latin origin felt upset by the use of words used in the previous poster about inclusivity. Members from ActiVida want to solve this misunderstanding and help improve the message that is being conveyed and be able to spread this message to members of other cultures.
Inclusivity has always been an important part of our school, and Activida is at the forefront of making it a reality under the guidance of Shawn Stein, the leadership club members seek to unify students through the discovery of new cultures and beliefs and how this can benefit our community in the years to come.
Wednesday, December 3rd, members of the group had a meeting at the counseling office study room to continue this important project, redesigning posters that represent an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone. Using as an example the experiences of various new students at LHS and how this may have affected their school life in some way. Their goal is to create a visual reminder that every student matters regardless of background, nationality, religion, ability, or identity.
Mrs Porter, the hoster of the meeting and the members from ActiVida discussed how they could demonstrate to students the importance of multi diversity and multiculturalism at LHS based on the Civil Rights Act and the School’s Mission and Vision. Some of the proposals were to design a new poster, but this time to have a greater impact on members of other cultures and foster student unity under the phrase “Together we are stronger” and making a video with the help of people that speak other languages to show how these people matter for this institution.
Dayanna Lopez, a Junior member of the club, said, “The idea of these posters is mainly to let the LHS community know that everyone belongs, no matter where you come from or what language you speak, you will be welcome at our school. We are a very diverse school and we would like everyone to know that they are welcome. Enjoy school without fear of feeling excluded or discriminated against. Because no matter where you are from, WE ALL ARE LIONS!!”
Shawn Stein stated, “Meaningful cultural change takes time and requires small steps from the whole community. Recognizing and accepting the need for change is the first phase. LHS student leaders and administrators involved in this project have fully embraced the goal of strengthening school culture and belonging for all members of the LHS community. The next steps are to increase awareness and belief across the school community that it’s both possible and necessary to work together to build coalitions for change.”
We all want a safer and inclusive school environment for all our lions, and these are the first steps to achieve it, so let’s make it possible. WE ALL ARE LIONS!!
