Students Encouraged to Inspire Change at Global Citizenship Day

Keynote speaker Mosheh Oinounou with Principal Bonamo, Superintendent Patrick and organizers Heather Waters and Meredith Dutra “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Though these famous words from anthropologist Margaret Mead were related decades ago, the message holds true even today. And in hopes of encouraging awareness, advocacy, and action in their students, on Wednesday, October 24th, Scarsdale High School held its 11th annual Global Citizenship Day. Social Studies teacher (and one of the day’s organizers), Heather Waters describes the goal of the special day as, “to educate our students about issues that they, as citizens and future leaders of the world, need to know to inspire change. Our hope is that they are moved to act and that they can have a more global perspective on the rights and responsibilities inherent in being a global citizen.”

Thanks in large part to the hard work of the 2024 Global Citizenship Committee 2024: Vincent Licciardello, Michelle Britto, Chris Hughes, Kimberly Summerfield, Jessica Pulford, Fernanda Moscoso Bueno, Meredith Dutra and Heather Waters, the day of immersive learning was host to over forty different workshops and presentations. The presentations ranged from “Combating Food Insecurity and Isolation with the Asian Conscious Empowerment Club” to “Slavery in Scarsdale and Activism at Wayside Cottage,” and so many more powerful presentations in between.

While not every student could attend each of the various sessions, all students were afforded the opportunity to learn from the day’s keynote speaker, Mr. Mosheh Oinounou Founder & Editor in Chief of Mo News.

In 2022 Mr. Oinounou, an Emmy, Murrow and Webby Award-winning Executive Producer who had leading roles with teams at Fox News, Bloomberg TV, CNBC and CBS News, launched Mo News, a site devoted to curating verified and balanced news. It’s his devotion to verified and balanced news that brought Oinnounou to SHS where he reminded students about the importance of media literacy. With his entertaining presentation, Oinounou was able to captivate the attention of high school students and encourage them to practice “smart media consumption,” which includes everything from network news to social media. In addition to reminding Student Max Spencer asking a question during the keynote speaker.students about media bias and how news sites will use photos and headlines to influence their readers interpretation of the news, Oinounou encouraged his audience to think critically about the news stories they consume and the sources they come from. In his closing slide, Oinounou shared four tips on how to be careful using social media as a newsource:

Diversify Sources: Diversify the sources you follow by background, politics, geography, etc.

Share Reliable Information: Only share reliable information or be transparent about what it might be missing.

Use Critical Thinking: Be a critical thinker and fact checker when it comes to what you are reading and sharing.

Responsibility: We have a first amendment right to Freedom of Speech, but the Supreme Court has put limits on that. Ex: You can’t yell fire in a theater.

Perhaps just as impressive as Mr. Oinounou’s presentation was the audience of thoughtful high school students who came prepared with serious questions, proving they were eager to learn from their esteemed guest speaker.

South Asian Social Justice Club with special guest David ImmamuraIn another thought-provoking presentation, Westchester County Board of Legislators for District 12, Mr. David Immamura joined South Asian Social Justice Club SHS Students-Ravi Vora, Arun Nayakkar, and Rohan Sehgal for an interview style exploration of various challenges in government. The session included a discussion of issues that affect Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in our community, including the lack of accurate representation of AAIP in education. As the student representatives shared, “The AAPI community makes up a large portion of the Scarsdale community and it is important that when students learn American history in schools, that AAPI history is included in textbooks and in the curriculum. AAPI history is American history and should be and fairly represented.” They also felt it was important that Mr. Immamura presented to SHS students so members of the AAPI could see themselves represented in significant government positions.

Victoria Tswamuno with Women’s Centers International In yet another powerful presentation moderated by history teacher David Sherrin, students were introduced to Victoria Tswamuno, Executive Director of Women’s Centers International. In her presentation, Ms. Tswamuno shared her own personal story of how WCI helped her, before going on to explore all the work that is being done and the various ways this organization supports women throughout Africa. As their website explains, “WCI’s mission is to support the creation of safe gathering places for women in resource-poor environments. Women’s Centers provide vocational and life skills training while fostering women's agency over their lives, promoting mental health and recovery from violence, and enhancing their capacity to build prosperity for themselves, their families, and communities.” To learn more see here https://www.womenscentersintl.org/

Mark Judelson with student Evan LeeIn what was an incredibly moving collaboration, Mark Judelson from Stories of Peace http://www.storiesofpeace.com/ narrated true tales of war time experiences accompanied by SHS Cellist Evan Lee. As is described on his website, “Violence is often met with violence. Hatred with hatred. We can choose other ways to respond and so preserve our humanity and even ennoble our collective character. Mark Judelson dramatically recounts the true stories of courageous individuals who responded to violence and hatred with acts of peace. Through words and music, he invites his audience to experience the inspiration and creativity of uplifting moments, ones that have the ability to transform both the situation and the spirit. For more than 20 years, Mark has told stories in high schools, colleges, churches, synagogues, prisons and conferences.” Mr. Jedelson’s striking narrative complimented by the beautiful music played by Evan Lee was a powerful combination which hopefully inspired the audience to choose acts of peace and kindness even when faced with hatred.

SHS Juniors Ollie Kaiden and Dylan Lemberg, gave a presentation about New York Student Engaged Citizenship (NYSEC ---- ny-sec.org) saying that “The purpose of the organization is to improve media literacy, responsible civic discourse, and overall civic engagement among students.” In their session, Kaiden and Lemberg aimed to “promote understanding of civil discourse, citizenship knowledge, and First Amendment rights through interactive activities and discussions. Participants in the workshop engaged in scenarios that foster respectful dialogue on controversial issues, emphasizing the importance of active listening and critical thinking. The session concluded with actionable steps for promoting civic engagement and civil conversations within the school community.”

Italian Exchange StudentsTruly living up to the title of Global Citizenship Day, visiting exchange students from our sister school Uccellis, in Udine, Italy were on hand to discuss various facets of Italian society and teen life. Their presentation highlighted some of Italy’s history and also served to prepare Scarsdale High School students who will be traveling to Udine, Italy in February as part of the school’s Global Education initiative.

In another student-led presentation, members from the Helping Hands in Brazil SHS Club (PJ Rosenthal, Felipe Chaladovsky, Marc Hajjar, Malu Lyra, and Sophia Peyser) gave a brief slideshow explaining some of the hardships many Brazilians face (such as poverty and devastating floods) and what people can do to help. The students also showcased some of Brazil’s rich culture and made sure to highlight how futbol (soccer) is a huge part of Brazilian society.

With Election Day just around the corner, it seemed especially meaningful to have members of Scarsdale’s League of Women Voters (LWV) join Global Citizenship Day to educate students about their organization's purpose, programs for students, and the NY ERA referendum. Their presentation began by defining the LWV as, “A nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy. We empower voters and defend democracy through advocacy, education, and litigation, at the local, state, and national levels.” LVW members went on to describe a brief history of LWV from their beginning with their founding by the Suffragettes in 1920, to celebrating their 100th year in 2020. Today the LVW works to support our democratic voting system through various means such as assembling and disseminating voter information, holding voter registration drives, hosting candidate forums, and so much more. They also offer students opportunities to get involved in a number of different ways including internships and through the Students Inside Albany Program. As described, this “program is an intensive four-day conference run by the New York State League of Women Voters Education Foundation. The program is designed to immerse students in the process by which public policy is proposed, enacted and changed in New York State and educate them as to how they can influence and affect this process.” To find out more see here https://www.lwv.org/local-leagues/lwv-scarsdale

Members of the League of Women Voters with Scarsdale students.

The inspiring day of empowerment and learning was once again capped off with an amazing international luncheon coordinated by Wennui Guo. The luncheon saw over thirteen international clubs serve cuisine from their respective countries. Students from each club were responsible for every aspect of the successful event from setting up, selling tickets, serving food, and helping to clean up. When asked why he felt the Global Citizenship Day and international luncheon were important traditions, student Nash Vicker said, “Not only is it a special time at SHS where students get a break from classes, but it also offers us a chance to connect with others, learn more about the world, and experience other cultures and ways of living.” Another student Catherine Wong added, “The international luncheon is a good opportunity for students to get to know different cultures, food, traditional clothing, and religions.”

International Lunch

As was the case last year, after students enjoyed cuisines from around the world they were invited to take part in an array of well-being related activities designed to help students destress and recharge their batteries. The activities, ranging from games of chess or cornhole to making glitter jars, also encouraged students to keep their phones “off and away for the day” and to connect with their peers and teachers during their lunch hour.

International LunchAlso true of years past, this year Global Citizenship Day not only encouraged students to think deeply about the world around them but also to try to look at situations from different perspectives, to take responsible actions, and to dive deep into what it means to be a good citizen and a participating member of society.

While not all of the sessions could be featured in this article, below is a list of a few of the presentations students had the opportunity to learn from:

Global Civil Education with Professor Kouta Takehara & the A-School – Just Communities around the WorldStudents and faculty from the A School in a round table discussion with Professor Kouta Takehara

Antisemitism in the Media The SHS Jewish Culture Club and Advisor SHS English Teacher Kimberly Summerfield: “This session discussed how antisemitism takes shape in the Digital Age. We explore the online portrayal of events involving Jews, the harmful spread of misinformation, and the real-world impact such rhetoric has beyond the screen.”

Able Athletics James Synowiez, the founder of Able Athletics, Vanessa Dias & SHS student volunteers

Learning, Living, and Leading- Scarsdale Schools Superintendent Drew Parick

Climate Policy, SHS student Alexa Silverstein, and Advisor SHS SS Teacher Andrew Morgan

Dr. Almanzar Foundation Medical Mission by SHS Spanish Teacher Patti Almanazar

Peace Corps in Ethiopia–Volunteer Thor Hong and Moderator SHS Math Teacher Jessica Pulford

SHS Mock Trial Club: The Importance of Law and Advisor SHS SS Teacher Brendan Lee

Harvard University -Harvard Votes
Undergraduate students from Harvard University’s Harvard Votes will speak to students about the importance of civic engagement and specifically voting.

Vinnie Bagwell–author and civil rights sculptor

Cybersecurity - How to Stay Safe Online - SHS Club- Robo Raiders and adviser Brian McDonald.

Holocaust Survivor - Judy Altmann and the Westchester HHREC Moderated by SHS English Teacher Kimberly Summerfield

SHS students welcoming SMS students to learn about leadership roles and life at SHS

SMS and SHS Developing Scarsdale Leaders- SMS and SHS students and SMS SS Teacher Meghan Lahey and SHS English Teacher Ben Sawyer: This is the second year we will be connecting SMS and SHS student leaders. This year the middle schoolers will be coming over here to work with our student leaders and develop their leadership skills while learning about life at SHS.