The Other Dreamers

February 15 was a heavy day for students at the New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies. The previous day, 17 people were killed at a Florida high school, and the tragedy left them with just one thing on their minds: What can they do to enact change?
It’s a familiar, if new, refrain for many teenagers across the country as they look to make their schools safer. And as demonstrated at the recent March for Our Lives, which occurred simultaneously in 800-plus cities around the globe, these students are seeing firsthand how voicing their concerns can lead to a powerful movement.
But for the kids at the Lab School, having a voice isn’t something new. In fact, treating students as customers — where they, not the faculty, are always right — has become something of a mantra at the school, thanks to an ongoing program housed there called The Future Project.
The initiative, which focuses on giving students a say in how they want their schools run, is a response to their complaints that schools don’t give them enough agency. At a time when student engagement is problematic across the nation, The Future Project reignites interest in school by allowing students an undeniable voice in shaping their community.
“Schools were designed for one purpose — teaching the basics of math or English — and they’re not catching up with the needs and wants of young people,” says GLG Social Impact Fellow Kanya Balakrishna, co-founder of The Future Project. “You often imagine that students are dropping out of school because of performance, but what we’re seeing is those students just aren’t making the connection between the life they’re living now and what they’re seeing in school.”
Inspired by her mother, a former educator, Balakrishna worked with high school students while studying anthropology at Yale. She found that despite teachers’ best efforts, students often reported feeling bored at school and disconnected from the issues they really cared about.
“It makes such a powerful difference when someone believes in students unconditionally,” she says.
So Balakrishna took an anthropological approach to solving student disengagement: observe, analyze, then take action. She also received executive guidance through her participation in the GLG Social Impact Fellowship. Through GLG, Balakrishna and her team have explored a range of topics, from how to be better managers and build a sales team to engaging with students’ parents and driving cultural change within schools.

The Future Project co-founder Kanya Balakrishna thinks there’s a better way to engage high school students.

Unlike afterschool programs that enlist adults as mentors, The Future Project embeds a full-time employee, known as a dream director, in a school to conduct interviews and perform annual assessments to uncover the issues and obstacles facing students — all from the perspective of the kids themselves. From there, dream directors utilize a strategy called “practice of possibilities” in which students develop projects that motivate their fellow teens to get involved and become more active at school.
The program is purposefully vague on appropriate actions to take because each student population requires a unique approach.
“There are 30,000 high schools in the country, and we can’t design different services for each one. So we created a model that was focused around listening and learning and could be customized to each school,” Balakrishna explains.
The Future Project operates in 50 schools nationwide and has helped approximately 30,000 students. Of those schools, four out of five report better relationships between students and teachers.
“There is rigorous science that backs up everything we’ve been doing, even the little details like the random icebreakers that dream directors do with a student,” Balakrishna says.
At the Lab School in New York, students told resident dream director Scotty Crowe that despite a student population of just 500 there was a looming sense of detachment.
“Students were saying they didn’t know what sports teams won; they didn’t know any accomplishments of other students. We want to make people feel connected because they have common interests,” says Crowe, adding that all of the initiatives The Future Project helped create — including a school newspaper and assembly days focused around diversity — were targeted toward building a stronger community.
“Our modern school system was created over 100 years ago, and yet we’re still using it despite cultures, technologies and courses changing since then,” says Eleanor Jewel, chief dream director for New York City and New Jersey schools. “We’re still asking, ‘Why are students checked out of school at 15 or 16 years old?’ That’s what we’re trying to solve here.”
Faculty members attest to The Future Project’s effectiveness. Kay Rothman, a college advisor and psychology teacher at the Lab School, says that the program “gives real credence to what students are saying when they talk about what they need in school.”
One alumna of the program, Justice Hatterson, has leveraged the skills she learned from a photography project six years ago and turned them into a career as a model manager for her own company, Daring Imagery Model Management.
“I took what I learned in that project and started a photography business. I became an event photographer doing baby showers and weddings, and then started taking photos of people. I’ve used what I learned about marketing, leadership, supervision and coaching, and pushed those things in my business,” Hatterson, now 23, says. “I get to coach people every day and build them up. It’s kinda like I’m their dream director, and they’re my dreamers.”
Hattersonis far from alone in being inspired by her experience with The Future Project, Balakrishna says. Ninety percent of participants told the organization that they feel more connected after working with a dream director.
“As a society, we often look at school as the problem,” Balakrishna says. “But we believe school can be the solution for young people to get an experience and learn or discover their strengths, passions and purpose.”
A previous version of this story misspelled Justice Hatterson’s last name and mischaracterized Balakrishna’s work with students while at Yale University. 

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GLG Social Impact is an initiative of GLG to advance learning and decision-making among distinguished nonprofit and social enterprise leaders. The GLG Social Impact Fellowship provides learning resources to a select group of nonprofits and social enterprises, at no cost.

When a Public High School Experiments With the Charter Model, Here’s What Happens

At the Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash., some students go to school from 7:20 a.m. to 5 p.m., including Saturdays and throughout summer. If this intense amount of schooling sounds familiar, that’s because there are charter schools across the country that are already doing this with their students in order to prepare them for college. So what’s notable about this schedule?
It’s going on at a public high school.
As Al Jazeera America reports, six years ago, Lincoln High School principal Pat Erwin decided to apply charter school methods to his own public school, launching the Lincoln Center High School for 350 of the school’s 1,500 students.
Besides the long and rigorous school hours, students in the program must take honors and AP level courses in every subject — from history to math. Students must also participate in clubs or sports.
“It adds up to 540 hours of extra academic support, enrichment and teacher contact,” Erwin says.
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The extended hours certainly made a difference. According to Al Jazeera America, 95 percent of the senior class graduated from charter portion of the school, compared to only 61 percent of the larger Lincoln student population. Additionally, 82 percent of the first Lincoln Center senior class were accepted into two or four-year colleges, receiving almost $2 million in scholarships, the school says.
Based upon its success, the principal will be applying a modified extended-day approach to the entire student body. Every student will now be required to take honors classes and attend school from 7:30 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and Fridays at the former regular time of 2:05 p.m.  The extra hour is meant for homework help and academic advising.
Al Jazeera America notes, however, that the expanded Lincoln Center model is expensive and controversial and has drawn opposition from staff members.
However, many feel that this approach is what’s best for the students. Although the students and teachers will be in school for longer hours, this experiment could help close the achievement gap for Lincoln’s mostly low-income student population (about 82 percent qualifying for free or reduced-priced meals).
“Our goal in all of this is to see your child graduate from high school and be prepared for college, work, or service to their country,” says Erwin in a statement. “We have seen rising levels of success over the years and by providing more support, more time, greater access to the best teachers in the state, we will see these desired results.”
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After a Grave Injustice, This 73-Year-Old High School Graduate Finally Receives His Diploma

It has taken more than five decades to right this wrong, but at 73-years-old, Alva Earley finally received his diploma from Galesburg High School.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the retired attorney wept as he accepted what he had rightfully earned back in 1959.
Earley grew up in the deeply segregated city of Galesburg, Ill. When he was 17-years-old, he attended a NAACP-sponsored picnic in a park that was considered off-limits for black people.
“We paid city taxes, we paid state taxes, we paid federal taxes,” he told People magazine. “So why should we have to be in a dump when we could be in a park that was state-of-the-art? We went there to convey a message.”
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“We were just trying to send a message that we are people, too,” Earley said. “We just had lunch. For that, I didn’t graduate.”
Not only was he banned from graduation for challenging segregation, but also two universities rescinded their acceptance letters because of Earley’s lack of a diploma. According to People, Earley was considering the Air Force until the president of Knox College in Galesburg, Ill. decided to admit him after hearing about the park incident.
With his incredible persistence, Earley then went on to graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also earned a degree in law and a doctorate in divinity.
Although he was always angry about being denied his diploma, Earley had kept quiet about his graduation ban until a high school reunion last year. Stunned after hearing his story, his classmates pushed for the school district’s current superintendent Bart Arthur to award Earley’s diploma. After reviewing the old records, Arthur agreed.
“Alva deserved it,” said classmate Lowell Peterson told the Tribune. “When people have been mistreated, we owe it to them to address the injustice. This is just a little chance to make something right.”
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This Impressive Teen Received a College Degree Before Finishing High School

It’s probably safe to say that most 16-year-olds are thinking more about getting their driver’s license than thinking about their plans for higher education. But that certainly wasn’t the case for one Hollywood, Florida teen.
Grace Bush astonishingly earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) a week before finishing high school. So how did she do it?
Grace, who completed her undergraduate degree in just three years with a 3.8 grade point average, participated in her school’s dual enrollment program that allows gifted students the opportunity to earn college credit for selected high school courses, Yahoo! News reports.
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This whizkid told CBS Miami that she started collegiate level courses when she was only 13-years-old at Broward College, enrolling in extra classes during summers to make it all possible. In case you weren’t amazed enough already, Grace also plays the flute for the Miami Music Project orchestra and the South Florida Youth Symphony, too.
Not only is this teenager incredibly smart (she started reading when she was only 2!), but she’s also incredibly hardworking, as well. The Sun Sentinel describes her brutal schedule of staying up until 2 a.m. every night studying and sneaking in naps on her commute to school every morning. And to maintain her rigorous academic schedule, Grace skipped out on attending typical school social activities such as school dances, football games or parties. She acknowledged to the paper that she “missed out on being a kid, goofing off and wasting time.”
Looks like Grace, the third oldest of nine siblings (who were all home-schooled by their mother Gisla), is just following in the footsteps of her likewise gifted family. “My two older sisters are doing it and I’m the third to do it,” Grace told CBS. “My oldest sister already graduated and my second oldest sister is graduating in the summer.”
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Her parents told the Sun Sentinel that they put their children on this path because they can’t afford to send them all to conventional four-year colleges or universities. (Grace took her courses at local colleges for free.)
So what’s next for Grace? She’s aiming even higher, naturally, and is planning to attend FAU’s master’s program and go on to law school so she can achieve her dream of becoming chief justice.
If past performance is an indicator of future success, Grace definitely has bright days ahead.

Memphis Houses of Worship Create a Magical Night for People with Disabilities

Buoyant bubbles drifted through the air as guests — clad in tuxedos and formal dresses— arrived, walking down a red carpet. The scene is familiar to anyone who’s attended a prom, but on April 25, the remarkable night was hosted not for a high school but for Memphis residents with disabilities.
The Joy Prom, sponsored by a group of local churches, was cooked up by Ashley Parks and Ginna Rauls, both active members in the Memphis special needs community, according to Good Morning America. The two wanted to give people with disabilities a chance to experience a night of primping, pampering and dancing.
They decided to call the evening the Joy Prom because “we decided we like ‘joy’ because that’s what we hope to bring,” Parks told the Huffington Post.
Parks, the special needs ministry director for Christ United Methodist Church, enlisted the help of 350 volunteers to collect donations that would be used to create the quintessential prom experience. Back in March, the duo hosted a prom dress donation drive, and a church member offered to foot the bill for tuxedo rentals from Men’s Warehouse. The community pooled together and even bought an ice sculpture and confectionary bar for the evening.
Guests were greeted on the red carpet by Memphis Grizzlies basketball team announcer Rick Trotter, who recognized them as they arrived by limo. Each host was given a card with their date’s allergies and a list of everything he or she wanted to experience that night.
Female guests could have their nails painted or makeup done while men were able to have their shoes polished. The crowd glittered with tiaras while guests danced the night away. “We didn’t miss anything,” Parks said.
But perhaps what made this prom more special than any other is the age range of its guests. Teenagers as young at 16 mingled alongside a couple in their 60s, giving everyone a chance to experience a night to remember.
“At a certain point people phase out of things but we said, you know what, lets open this up for people over the age of 22 and think of those who may not have experienced an event like this before,” Parks said.
The night was so successful, planning for next year’s prom is already underway. We’re guessing that the 2015 prom will be just as memorable.

This Inspiring Teen Took His Great-Grandmother to Prom

Most high schoolers dream of spending prom with friends, reminiscing on the past four years of school. But 19-year-old Austin Dennison had another idea when it came to the special night. He used it as an opportunity to give his great-grandmother a chance to experience the quintessential American high school tradition.
The senior at Parkway High School in Rockford, Ohio knew his 89-year-old great-grandmother, Delores Dennison, was never afforded the opportunity to attend prom.
“I asked her if she would be my prom date,” Austin told Fox News. “How cool would it be to take my great-grandmother to prom?”
The Eagle Scout; band member; and football, baseball, and basketball athlete took the idea from his economics teacher, who shared a similar story of his brother taking his grandmother to prom. Austin then called his “Granny DD” to pop the question.
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“He was so sweet and adamant about it,” Delores said. “I asked him, ‘But are you sure that you wouldn’t like to take one of the young ladies who could get out there and do everything with you?’ He said no. ‘I want you.’”
The night was as perfect and charming as one could imagine. The young suitor serenaded his great-grandmother with a song and gifted her with a pearl necklace. Delores wore a blue dress and Austin’s father drove the two to a dinner at Bob Evans, one of Delores’s favorite restaurants. Upon their arrival at the dance, the two were introduced at the promenade, where Austin’s classmates give them a standing ovation.
As a stroke survivor with heart trouble, Delores’s energy may have been a bit limited — but that didn’t stop this formerly-spry granny from hitting the dance floor.
“It was wonderful and I just loved all the girls in their fancy gowns and the gentlemen in their tuxedos. It was quite a night,” she said. “Everyone there just could not have been more polite. Everyone got an A+.”
But that wasn’t the only surprise Austin had in store for his great-grandma. The admirable grandson had requested the Frank Sinatra tune “How I love the kisses of Delores,” a song that his great-grandfather used to croon to his great-grandmother.
“I chose that song because Grandpa Ed used to sing that song to her,” Austin said. “We shared that dance. It was really sweet.”

This 6-Year High School Challenges Everything We Thought We Knew About American Education

At the innovative P-TECH early college high school in Brooklyn, “innovators” (what they call their students) don’t finish school until grade 14. But here’s the kicker: When they graduate, they walk away with an associates degree and a guaranteed job at IBM.
Thanks to public and private partnerships (IBM provides mentors for the school), P-TECH kids are taught science, technology engineering and math skills that get them ready for collegiate success and an invaluable leg up in the global economy. It’s a radical makeover of our traditional education system. As Rana Foorohar writes for her TIME cover story on the school, “a four-year high school degree these days only guarantees a $15 an hour future.”
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P-TECH only launched in Sept. 2011 but already has scores of high-profile endorsements and even imitators. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, inspired by the New York academy, is opening six P-TECH schools in his own city. He told the magazine, “What’s very clear to me is that high school education as it is envisioned today isn’t sufficient for the modern workplace, or the modern economy.”
President Obama visited the Crown Heights-based school last year, and touted its game-changing model in his State of the Union address: “This country should be doing everything in our power to give more kids the chance to go to schools just like this one.”
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“Companies, they’re looking for the best-educated people, wherever they live. And they’ll reward them with good jobs and good pay. And if you don’t have a well-educated workforce, you’re gonna be left behind,” Obama said.
The President also said in a speech during his October visit to the school that Verizon and Microsoft are following in the footsteps of P-TECH’s partner, IBM, and are considering public school collaborations. “This is a ticket into the middle class, and it’s available to everyone who is willing to work for it,” he said. “That’s what public education is supposed to do.”

This City Has a Bold Plan to Close the Technology Gap

Houston has pulled an Oprah on its high schools. But instead of handing out cars, the Texan city has given nearly 65,000 students and staff members laptops, as part of the PowerUp program, Tech Page One reports. PowerUp is a multimillion-dollar investment that gives Houston’s large population of lower-income students — many who can’t afford a computer — a leg up in our increasingly digital landscape.
It may seem counterintuitive to give high school students easier access to distractions like social media or games, but these particular laptops are loaded with software that blocks inappropriate sites. And it’s not just a boost in technological know-how. According to Tech Page One, Houston is following in the footsteps of North Carolina’s Mooresville Graded School district, which saw an impressive 33 percent jump in test scores after it gave out laptops to every students from 4th to 12th grades.
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Lastly, these machines aren’t as pricey as you might imagine. Use of these laptops sets each student back just $25 for a security deposit, and it saves them money because they don’t have to buy pricey textbooks. Currently, 11 schools have laptops for every student, with plans to expand to all 40 high schools in the Houston district. And if it works out in Houston, the program might come to a district near you.

How One School Discovered More Sleep Means Smarter Teens

It’s not rocket science—kids who are better rested are better prepared for school. In a study published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, researchers confirmed this theory by assessing a high school that changed its start time from 8 a.m. to 8:25 a.m. during the winter term. As the Huffington Post reports, researchers found that students were able to get almost 30 more minutes of sleep on school nights, and the number of students getting at least eight hours of sleep a night increased to 44 percent from 18 percent. The later start also meant “daytime sleepiness, depressed mood, and caffeine use were all significantly reduced,” the study said.
Researcher Julie Boergers, Ph.D said, “Sleep deprivation is epidemic among adolescents, with potentially serious impacts on mental and physical health, safety and learning. Early high school start times contribute to this problem.” Getting enough sleep is important for everyone, but apparently a teenager’s growing brain might not be ready for learning at such early hours because it’s still in biological sleep mode.
Minnesota’s South Washington County school recently saw a positive change when they moved their start from 7:35 to 8:35 a.m., the Star Tribune reports. While state reading tests remained the same, the students did better on state standardized math tests. The school also saw their daily average attendance rise. So here’s to more sleep for smarter, healthier students—we’re sure they won’t complain.
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